| December 18, 2008 By HEATHER ADAMS Christmas to young children means toys, perhaps a new trike. To Indian Valley High School physical education teacher Glenn Kyle it means putting some new Trikkes for his gym classes on his wish list. Kyle said he saw Trikkes for the first time while watching an infomercial on TV late one night. Trikkes basically look like three-wheeled scooters. They feature two rear platforms for the feet, a handlebar over the front wheel for steering and bicycle-like hand brakes. The rider propels and maneuvers the device by shifting his weight from side to side and moving the front handlebars in synch with his body. The movements are similar to those used in in-line skating, said Kyle; in response, the Trikke leans from side to side much like the wheels on a pair of inline skates respond when the skater pushes off from one foot to the other. To increase speed, the rider leans side to side and pushes the handlebars from right to left, putting his weight into it. As the rider picks up speed, the Trikke begins to lean along with him, the wheels and platforms following his body motion. The final step in bumping up the Trikke speed is to push with the opposite foot, much the same as riding a skateboard. This can be tricky, Kyle said, because the Trikke frame does not allow the rider’s foot to move from the position on the platform—the power from the rider’s push is transmitted through the mechanism, increasing the speed. As the rider builds speed, especially when going downhill, the Trikke ride more resembles downhill skiing than skating, he said. The rider actually “carves”, turning as steep or as shallow as he desires. He does so by controlling the radius of the turn and the degree to which he leans. The Trikke slogan, “No pushing - No Pedaling - Just ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!” is an accurate description of its operation. Kyle has bought six Trikkes so far and said he hopes to buy enough to equip an entire class. He is applying for a grant in the hope of helping to pay for this new offering in gym class. Currently, students are taking turns riding the Trikkes around the gym, but Kyle said they will have more fun with them in the spring when they can use them outside. Kyle has a bicycle unit in his curriculum and hopes to extend that with the addition of the new Trikkes. Combined, bicycles and Trikkes could be a four and one-half week unit for IVHS gym class. He said he also wants to include obstacle courses for the Trikkes and possibly even for the bicycles. Kyle believes that introducing Trikkes to gym class will add a new aspect of fun to the physical education agenda. Kyle cited as his ultimate goal to encourage students to stay physically active outside of school and carry through with physical activity for the rest of their lives. Like skiing, Trikkes constitute an entire body workout. In using the Trikkes, students have an idea of how exciting skiing can be, Kyle said. With Tussey Mountain Ski Resort just 20 minutes away, they will be able to transition easily from riding Trikkes to skiing, a lifetime activity. Another positive aspect of both activities is that one can enjoy them either with or without company. Students can stay fit, Kyle said, without having to rely on other people to join them. The relationship between the school activity and the development of interest in individual lifetime sports illustrates Kyle’s philosophy of promoting individual fitness. Trikkes are not yet very popular around Mifflin County, but they easily could start to catch on thanks to the exposure Kyle has given them in class. |
| November 12, 2008 By JITEN SUTHAR Indian Valley High School will host its 34th annual Senior Show from 8 – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14th and 15th, in the auditorium. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students. Titled Funnies, the show consists of a series of skits
depicting various comic strips and performed by senior class
members. With a cast of nearly 90, the show is the school’s
largest cast production. A popular tradition, the Senior Show has served as a creative performance outlet unique to the school. In its initial stages, the concept began as a senior variety show. The variety show comprised displays of talent through unrelated acts. About 20 seniors were involved in the production in those days. Rhodes, however, eventually redefined the notion of a “senior show” as a broader collection of skits under a common theme. This change has enabled a larger percentage of the senior class to participate. “The senior show gives everyone, both superstars and non-superstars alike, the opportunity to have a moment in the spotlight,” Rhodes said. Since revamping the format, Rhodes has taken responsibility for conceiving the themes, writing the skits, and directing the show. Baylor has avidly supported Rhodes, providing assistance with the audio aspect of the program for 30 of the 31 years under this format. Many of the skits require background audio tracks, and Baylor has worked diligently over the years to acquire them. “Mr. Baylor enables the Senior Show to sound as good as it does,” Rhodes said. From its very roots, the show has received enthusiastic support not only from among seniors but also juniors who keep the pressure on Rhodes each year to divulge the theme of their own show. Rhodes credits the show tradition’s popularity and success to the support of both the faculty and student body and the enthusiasm that even the hard work can’t dispel. “Sometimes, it feels like herding cattle, but I look forward to it as much as the seniors do,” he said. |
| November 11, 2008 By JESSE CROSSON, JARED REEDY |
| October 22, 2008 By HEATHER ADAMS Most of us don’t think about what is happening inside our bodies whenever we perform the simplest of tasks. A child’s chasing a ball through a yard involves multiple muscles extending and contracting, allowing him to complete this most basic of motions. If only our skin were transparent, the muscles would be visible, making it easier to understand the complexity of the simple act of running. In the hope of gaining just such an in-depth understanding of the human body, 38 students from the Indian Valley Medical Careers Club, AP Biology and Biology II classes traveled Friday to the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg to visit Our Body: The Universe Within. The work of Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the traveling exhibition arrived in Harrisburg this past summer and will remain there through Nov. 3. Owned by The Anatomical Sciences and Technologies Foundation (Hong Kong) Ltd., the full exhibition features 12 full bodies and 124 organ specimens. Because of Whitaker’s limited size, however, it is housing only a portion of the display. ` Hagens’ work is one of three such exhibitions traveling around the world; however, he is the scientist who developed the process, called plastination—also known as polymer preservation—through which the bodies are preserved. According to materials supplied by the Whitaker Center, polymer preservation involves replacing bodily fluids with liquid plastic, which is then hardened to create a solid, durable anatomic specimen that should last indefinitely. Most impressively, this process leaves even the most delicate tissue structures virtually intact. Because the skin has been removed from most of the bodies, the muscles and internal structures are exposed to view. Constructed models designed by artists could never be as exact as this final product, the handout states. The bodies Hagens prepared for the exhibition were provided to him by various accredited Chinese universities, medical schools, research centers and laboratories, all of which are dedicated members of The Chinese Society for Anatomical Science, the Whitaker handout states. Visiting the exhibition enhanced what the students are learning through their club and classes. “To learn the anatomy, this was better than a diagram out of any book,” says Medical Careers Club adviser Mrs. Linda Wilson. Biology teacher Mr. David Howe agrees. Currently, the Biology II class is learning about the body and memorizing the various names and functions of each system, so this experience helped the visual learners to associate the actual images with the names. Mr. Howe explains that such activities reinforce student interest in their field of study: “AP Biology needed to go on this trip in order to keep them interested in the biological field, and that way they can better society.” Most of the students who attended the field trip enjoyed the exhibit. Kayla Bulick reflects, “I liked the exhibit because it’s not every day that you get to see inside, yet alone a perfect visual, of a real human.” Kristi Potorti adds that if people are going to be doctors then this exhibit helps them get a feel for what they will be studying in college. The experience provided Stephanie Zewe with a “new perspective of the body.” |
| October 17, 2008 By JESSE CROSSON Folks from all walks of life gather in one place to break bread together. Setting aside all differences, each person radiates with an ear-to-ear grin, passing laughs down the table along with plates of elegant cuisine. Sounds like the recent Alfred E. Smith Memorial dinner attended by Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, right? Actually, this light-hearted scene could be found in Room 161 at Indian Valley High School on Friday. Lunch at IVHS on was quite a novelty f or teachers and staff across the school. Instead of quickly eating a packed lunch on the go or briskly walking to the cafeteria for a bit of midday sustenance, teachers were served an elegant meal prepared and served by Culinary Arts students. Teachers were provided with a harvest meal of potato-carrot soup, squash-apple bisque, Greek salad, warm blue crab bruschetta, and fresh sweet tea. For a small donation, guests sat down to an all-you-can-eat café meal. Running through all three lunch periods, the meal served as a fundraiser for both the IV Business Club and Culinary Arts/Garden Club. Friday’s luncheon, however, was not the first student-led event sponsored by Indian Valley’s Culinary Arts Department. In mid September, the Culinary Arts students prepared yet another meal for teachers at IVHS. September’s Back-to-School Night meal benefited all teachers not wanting to leave the building to grab a quick bite to eat before parents arrived for their annual run-through of their children’s class schedules and to meet the classroom teachers. For this meal, students assembled a menu of pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, and ham and beans, along with fresh corn and iced tea. This meal, along with Friday’s luncheon, was prepared in part using vegetables and spices recently grown in and harvested from the school’s new market garden. By providing such meals for the staff and including students in the process, Mrs. Amy Houtz, Culinary Arts teacher, believes student-faculty relations can be improved and built upon. “This is all part of the greater scheme of improving faculty-student relationships…as well as including all disciplines,” says Houtz. Houtz and other teachers at IVHS hope to institute similar events in the future. The next meal—a breakfast—is slated for Oct. 31. |
| October 17, 2008 By MARLA KAUFFMAN, CASSIDY
GROVE Indian Valley High School’s Culinary Arts and Health Departments have started a project that continues to grow. Amy Houtz, a teacher in the Culinary Arts Department came up with the idea of adding a garden to the Culinary Arts curriculum. Houtz has been gardening at her own home and brought her knowledge of gardening to the school’s garden. She teamed up with school nurse, Linda Wilson to make the garden possible. Wilson decided it would be a good idea to work with the young teacher to create health awareness with the idea of the garden. Houtz used a large area of unused space located outside the culinary arts rooms to create the garden. The area was rot-a-tilled last spring. When Principal Ronald Varner saw the upturned earth he asked “What do you intend to do with this big mud hole?” Rain had turned the newly turned earth into a swamp of mud. Little did he know what the are would be turned into. Initially no grants were given for the creation of the garden. It was paid for “out of the pockets” of Houtz and Wilson. Much hard work was put in, not only by Houtz and Wilson, but their families and students also, last spring and continuing over the summer. The garden was hand-watered once a week throughout the summer. Due to the raised bed technique used, root systems are deeper, therefore creating healthier plants that need not be watered as often as other plants. Linda Wilson looked to PANA (Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity) for guidelines on how to go about starting an academic garden. She found a teacher’s guide for grades K-12 which involves many different subject areas in the gardening process and in creating a healthy food market. With the help of PANA, IVHS will be involving many different clubs from the school in the garden process. Health Club uses the garden to promote healthy living habits. Already the “Walking School Bus Program” has used the garden as a tool of health promotion. Science Club has used the soil of the garden for PH tests. Art Classes have sketched and painted the garden because of its aesthetic quality which it gives the school. Business Club is participating by planning faculty banquets with foods produced from the garden. A fee is given for the banquets. The Business Club will take care of the money. The Culinary Arts Department has been using many of the items planted in the garden in classes. Houtz plans on teaching units in canning preserves and working with fresh produce. With the clubs participating in garden-related activities, IVHS will be eligible for grants ranging from $2,000 to $7,000. The grant money will be used for other health related events and promotions. After the harvest season is over, the garden will still be put to use by the Culinary Arts Department. Compost will be laid over the beds in order to keep the soil healthy for the next growing season. Not only will the garden be put to use by the Culinary Arts and Health Departments. Hopes for the future include involving the whole school in a garden-related project. Possibilities include a school-run produce market and an annual harvest meal. |
| October 8, 2008 By JESSE CROSSON
Yesterday, beginning at 7:30 in the morning, bikers and walkers from the Indian Valley attendance area, as part of the national week-long “Walking School Bus” event, began their journey to school. Supported by Indian Valley’s Culinary Arts department, the Bike Club, and the Medical Careers Club, the event promotes increased walking routes to school, as well as the increasing of awareness for the safety of such routes. In preparation for the week of health awareness, Indian Valley physical education teacher Glenn Kyle arrived early to the high school with 25 t-shirts for participants in the event. As advisor of the Indian Valley Bike Club, Mr. Kyle commented on the importance of the event to the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. Still, more interestingly, Mr. Kyle mentioned another function of such an event as the Walking School Bus—the function of facilitating the integration of all departments at Indian Valley under the common goal of a healthier Mifflin County. |
| October 3, 2008 By JESSE CROSSON
Sponsored by Indian Valley’s Medical Careers Club and the Culinary Arts Department, and supported by the Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity, the Walking School Bus promotes increased physical activity among Mifflin County’s youth as well as the raising of awareness for safe walking routes to school. The event’s staunchest supporters include Mrs. Linda Wilson, Indian Valley School Nurse, Ms. Amy Houtz, Indian Valley Culinary Arts teacher, Mr. Glenn Kyle, Bike Club supervisor, and Lewistown Mayor Deb Bargo. Each of these individuals encourages drivers remember to share the road with students as Mifflin County and its citizens work toward a healthier, safer future. Back to top |