Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2000, Page 151

Description:	Engineering TeamNineteen teams from across thecountry met in Washington DC. onFeb. 22 and 23 in the NationalEngineering Design Challenge. Fivestudents from two different physicsclasses, taught by Mrs. Cindy Kvale,traveled to the competition.They included juniors MattChildress and Brandon Mitchner andsophomores Chris Kenrick, DanielKonstanski and Lindsay Sparks. Theevent gave students with an interest inengineering a chance to get a real lifeexperience in it.I had taken an interest inengineering, but the project gave anew focal point to my interest in it,Mitchner said.The challenge was to create adurable emergency shelter fordisasters and emergency situations.Their tent-like, dome-shaped shelterwon the Regional in Chicago beforeadvancing to the National competition.The results from the Nationalcompetition would be revealed laterduring the year. Sparks said that therewere many different designs for ashelter depending upon what part ofthe country the team was from.It was interesting to see all thedifferent people from across thecountry come up with many differentideas.To see what they thought [of anemergency shelter] compared to us,Sparks said. by Heather EmersonPrice of GasolineWith the price of regular unleadedgasoline reaching $1.48 and higher,most student drivers began to feel apinch on their wallets. Experts saidthe exceptionally high gasoline pricespresent at local gas stations wouldcontinue to go up into the summer,but would eventually fall back slightly,although not to the level of 1999.Production cuts in oil-producingcountries were the cause of theenormous increase. Even so, many feltthat it was the responsibility of ourgovernment to take some control innegotiating oil prices with thesecountries.The prices are way too high ... itleaves me with very little to spend.The government should do somethingabout this before it gets further out ofhand, junior Matthew Jacobs said.Though the low prices of 1999were far behind us, many still feltoptimistic that the prices were boundto drop later on in the year. Studentswere hopeful that the price ofgasoline would reach a point thatwould satisfy both the oil producersand consumers. by Martha PayneAt the Marathon gas station on WalnutStreet, junior Matt Kerr pumps gas forhis mother. Gas prices rose steadilystarting in February, eventually takinga toll on students wallets.David Wonder1514
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/6663
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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