Wingate High & AISES

Engineering a future
On display: Wingate students show their stuff in Arizona AISES competition

Fort Wingate High School students (front, from left) Kyle Kyasyousie, Jerimiah Copi, Kimberly Becenti; (back) Shania Tom, LaToya Johnson, and Shayla Chatto recently took home honors in the Arizona Science and Engineering fair.— © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINGATE — Upon arrival at the Wingate High School, a display case congratulates six students who placed in the top four of the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair competition held March 21-24 in Phoenix.

The students, members of the school’s American Indian Science and Engineering Society, traveled to the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus to compete in the regional science fair. Jen Nichols, the AISES sponsor, said there were schools from six or seven states participating.

Though they didn’t know if they would be able to make the trip because of numerous challenges — including decreased funds — they worked on their projects for the past four months.

“We just kept plugging away,” Nichols said.

Jeremiah Copi and Kyle Kyasyousie, both juniors, took third place in the medical and health category for their project researching modern and traditional medicines.

“It was awesome,” Copi said about the trip to Phoenix for the science fair. “We had a lot of fun.”

Kyasyousie added, “We met a lot of cool people.”

For their project, the two hypothesized that most people they surveyed would use traditional medicine, but they found that modern medicine was used by many of those they surveyed.

“In our results, we found that oftentimes both types of medicine are used depending on the severity of the illness,” the report stated.

Shania Tom and Kimberly Becenti, both sophomores, took third place in behavioral and social science category. The two looked at the effects of different types of music on students’ reading and math test scores.

Tom said that they found that music was not necessarily a distraction for students.

About placing at the regional science fair, Becenti said, “We were surprised because there was a lot of other people.”

She said that they chose the topic because they thought it would be a lot of fun.

Sophomores Shayla Chatto and LaToya Johnson took fourth place in microbiology for their study comparing the effects of antiseptic mouthwashes in killing e. coli bacteria.

They found that Listerine provided the best antiseptic benefits among those they tested, which they had predicted in their hypothesis.

The two used ground beef, petri dishes and a control to test the effects of three mouthwashes by monitoring and recording bacterial growth.

Chatto and Johnson said that the field trip was fun and exciting.

Wingate High School AISES Vice President Britney King said she wasn’t surprised that her fellow club members placed at the science fair.

“I’m really proud of them,” she said.

Nichols said that academic field trips are important for students to connect their studies to the real world, meet new people and share new ideas.

“I think they deserve it,” she said.

Our Imagination

Jennifer Beals:

Pride:


No Doubt baby!

"Through our imagination and through exposure to the imagination of those we are constantly in the process of creating ourselves"- Jennifer Beals

Open Letter

"I received a letter from a young girl who just talked about how much the show had meant to her when she was coming out, and how there was nothing in her community and no one to talk to about who she was, and that the show was her lifeline, in so many ways. That really made me so proud of all of us..." -Jennifer Beals

At first I thought Jennifer was talking about me (wishful thinking), because when Jennifer and Laurel attended an L Word Convention in Blackpool, England I sent them a letter that was put together from the lovely staff of tibette.com (a Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman dedicated website check it out!). Here's an excerpt:

I have been watching The L Word since season three. I am so honored to have found The L Word and to have seen the work you two have both put into this. The L Word, Jennifer, and Laurel all have made a fine print in my life.

Since The L Word, I never knew that a show could have this kind of effect on me. This show has helped me discover who I truly am, it was one of the many factors that helped me come out as a lesbian. I started watching the show from season three. I will never forget the first time I saw it, it was the episode “Lifesize”, and from then on I couldn’t stop watching. When I continued to watch it, I found myself in a place where I felt so comfortable, so at ease, and most of all accepted, it was something that I cannot explain, but I knew it was where I belonged. That’s what The L Word and you guys, Jennifer and Laurel, have given me.

Jennifer, you have basically changed my life. You are such an inspiring woman who has made a huge impact on me. Through your strength, personality, what you have done with The L Word, with the issues that you care and have spoken about, and how you live your life so freely has helped me come out as a lesbian. I cannot express my deepest gratification for what you have given me; strength. Without you, The L Word, Tibette, and my strength to come out as a lesbian wouldn’t have happened. I will forever be thankful of you Jennifer.

Laurel, you are such an amazing actress and you complete Tibette. I could not see Tibette without you- I don’t think I could see The L Word without you. Your talent, your beauty, and all your hard work that you have put into The L Word, made Tibette what it is today. Thank you to the makers of The L Word, to Jennifer Beal’s most of all; who has given me the strength to be who I truly am, and to Laurel, for without you, Tibette would just be a country, but spelled wrong.

Sincerely,
A Tibette Shipper