![On Oct. 30, 24 Eco Club members took a tour of the school’s solar panels on the roof. They were guided and taught by an employee from E Light Electric, the company that maintains the school’s solar panels, and learned about how the panels are maintained and cared for. “I was definitely very excited about being on the roof in general,” Eco Club member Olivia Fang ‘26 said. “[It was exciting to] learn more about solar panels and how they work and how they supply energy to our school.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/RCH_2632-1200x800.jpg)
![Ice and snow make it difficult for drivers on the road. During snowstorms, drivers have poor visibility, and frozen roads make it difficult to stay in control. “Driving home from Denver [on Friday], the neighborhoods weren’t plowed. By the time we got back they were only plowing highways. We spun out, nearly got stuck and fishtailed a few different times,” Connor Pugh ‘26 said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Untitled_Artwork-e1732045465987.jpg)
![Varsity girls soccer midfielder Leah Sheahan ‘24 hugs a friend during the Senior Night celebrations before the home game against Mountain Vista High School (MVHS) at Echo Park Stadium April 29. During Senior Night, seniors were given flowers and the opportunity to walk out and take pictures with their family as their future plans and favorite memories were announced over the speakers. The Jags tied 0-0, losing the Continental League Championship. “We were obviously the stronger team but just couldn’t find a way to score, but otherwise our connection and our intensity was really high so I’m proud of that. We just have to find the net,” defense midfielder Clara Geuzaine ‘24 said. “[Losing League] wasn’t the best. It’s better than last year and like, I know our team and we are doing really good. I don’t want to jinx it but like hopefully [we’ll do] good [in playoffs].”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Copy-of-DSC_4277-1-1200x868.jpg)
![In room 4101, Natalie Patterson ‘26, Ariana Magor ‘25 and Celina Salazar ‘25 create a poster in science teacher Kerry Reilly’s Chemistry Honors April 18. The three completed a worksheet and drawing to explain the implosion of a tank for their unit on gas laws. “At the start of class, we watched a video of the tank imploding,” Patterson said. “I think [making a drawing] is something new. I like more artsy activities.”](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5019-1200x900.jpeg)
Students Search for Answers and Cures With Biotechnology
Biotech students pitch their long-awaited research pitches to teachers, parents and researchers in pursuit of resources and donations.
![Sabine Manske and Berlin Barnett '21 wrap up their presentation and prepare to answer questions from potential investors. Barnett and Manske chose to conduct their research on the vascularization of faux breast tissue. “Many of these people [investors] have expertise, and are going to really question your methods and really make you think about those different aspects,” Biology teacher Nikki Dobos said.](https://rockmediaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/biotechpitches1-900x675.jpeg)
media by Jana Seal
Sabine Manske and Berlin Barnett ’21 wrap up their presentation and prepare to answer questions from potential investors. Barnett and Manske chose to conduct their research on the vascularization of faux breast tissue. “Many of these people [investors] have expertise, and are going to really question your methods and really make you think about those different aspects,” Biology teacher Nikki Dobos said.
September 18, 2019
In a classroom full of science teachers, parents and researchers, 2-4 students prepare to present their Power Points. These presentations are not an everyday school project, however. They are the beginnings of intensive research projects in Biotechnology.
Monday Sept. 9 through Friday Sept. 13, students presented their designs and methods for their research projects.
“The whole process started last year at the end of last year. They had to come up with their project idea, and they spent the summer writing kind of the rough draft of their methods,” RCHS Biology teacher Nikki Dobos said.
When coming up with their project ideas, students reflected on causes that they hope to contribute to. Some students had a personal stake in their research, and some chose topics based on their mentor’s area of study. Students pitched research on a variety of real-world, consequential issues such as cancer cells, the effects of Lexapro (an antidepressant) on stem cells, and artificial sugars’ effect on insulin, to name a few.
“We are doing research on the effect of artificial sugars on Islet beta cells, which are cells from the pancreas that produce insulin. We want to see if artificial sugars cause the Islet cells to produce insulin. If they do then artificial sugars could be contributing to type 2 diabetes because of the repeated insulin spikes,” Biotech student Alana Graves ‘20 said. “My team (Kaylee Kabza ‘21 and Ian Fleming ‘20) wanted to do this research because we all have family members who are impacted by diabetes. Ian has type 1 diabetes and wanted to research something personal to him.”
In each presentation, students included the following: Hypothesis, experimental design, proposed methods, experimental flow, control and constant variables, timeline, safety precautions, and their mentors. At the end of their presentations, students explained their short-term goal, long-term vision, budget, project website, and then opened up for questions from their audience.
The purpose for these pitches is to give researchers and parents the opportunity to ask questions and observe the research pitches as potential investors, so that they can consider contributing. Because the projects are so intensive, students, after planning them, are left with a sum (around $100-$400) of money that’s needed in order to complete their research effectively. Donations from the RCHS community have improved the quality of their research.