Estes Park High School - Whispering Pine Yearbook (Estes Park, CO)

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Science Free-fall, physics and fish The science curriculum of- fered a healthy variety of choices for students, while a number of firsts for the department creat- ed milestones. The freshman science course was, for the first time, team taught. Mary Ann Varanka worked togeth- er with Grace Stephen for one unit and Dave Ohlde for two units. For Mrs. Stephen, it was a return to freshman science after a five-year hiatus. Sophomores in biology en- joyed end-of-the-year treats such as the annual stream study on Fish Creek and the new seafood feast. Ms. Varanka noted that the sea- food lunch was a student-generat- ed activity. She looks to use other such activities in the future, if not this particular one. A humorous mishap that al- most wasn't also occurred in the freshman class. As part ofthe crys- tal test, the students were given the powdery, white compound alu- minum potassium sulfate. Due to ln the science storeroom, Jason McBride independently experiments with light. 10 Science its resemblance to another pow- dery, white substance, teachers and administrators were informed of the experiment, but concerned bus drivers and irate parents dis- posed of the completely harmless chemical for some students. Ms. Varanka was also back af- ter a year-long sabbatical to work on a doctoral thesis dealing with gender equality. The department was bol- stered by a good turnout in nearly all of its electives. Chemistry students were al- lowed to do independent projects. A number of them showed pyro- maniac streaks as they did work with explosives and burning so- dium. Mr. Ohlde taught a surpris- ingly large number ofjuniors in his physics class. Kepler's laws, free- fall acceleration and inertia were all discussed in class. Advanced science students were treated to their ovm Umini- lab in a corner of Ms. Varanka's room, where they experimented on subjects as varied as electro- phoresis, penicillin, the speed of light and gravity. The human physiology class took a field trip to Colorado State University to view the college's electron microscope. The group also organized and ran the Stu- dent Health Fair. Mrs. Stephen taught her local geology course for the second year and added a local ecology course to the curriculum. Bob Mclntosh taught a new class, laser technology. The course had an exceptional turn- out. Mr. Ohlde also added a new course to the curriculum, astrono- my. The tumout was small but loy- al, as the students braved frigid temperatures to stand outside and view l'Ialley's Comet, Jupiter and its moons, Betelguese and other heavenly bodies. Jeff Hicks prepares to utilize the school's new laser in an experiment in Mr. Mclntosh's laser technology class. f

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Fi Magnuson explains a concept in his ancient civilizations class. nding the answer for Starla Davis, Don 3, ,,, H, S u,. D tl' Members of the state and local govemment class listen to the guide explain the history of the Colorado State Capitol on a field trip April 20. uring psychology class, Paul Cxrewe, Dan Phipps and Corrine Porterfield act as psyc ists as they try to diagnose a patient's problem. hia- 'W Senate Majority Leader Ted Strickland ad- dresses a session of the Colorado Senate while the govemment classes observe. Social studies 9 S M

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Ms. Varanka demonstrates the phenome- Scott Raybourn and Mark Allen concentrate intensely at the Student Health Fair as they non that the cold of liquid nitrogen creates. take Jon Baker's blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer. Preparing for an electrophoresis experiment, Jim Crerleman pours technique to diagnose numerous disorders from heart disease to distilled water into dehydrated blood serum. Hospitals use this liver problems. ' Y ' ' ' 'Bm' f vw- 'r 'M' gr