Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 29, 1995 TAG: 9511290057
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: HALE SHEIKERZ
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Kurt Grosshans' AP chemistry class participated in a forensics project that included a "murdered" coach, several sleuths and Detective Gary Brumfield from the Christiansburg Police Department.
The activity was designed to give students the opportunity to use scientific techniques, powers of observation and analytical deduction to attempt to solve the crime - who murdered the coach?
During the four-day project, students used scientific techniques such as chromatography, blood analysis, serology, document analysis and hair and fiber analysis to isolate and identify clues.
Brumfield demonstrated techniques such as fingerprinting, fingerprint analysis, interrogating and interviewing suspects and the chain of custody concerning evidence. Through the project, students became familiar with what it takes to become a forensics investigator.
Students from five area high schools attended the Teens as Teachers training program Nov. 3-4 in Wytheville. The program provided students with information and materials to successfully teach lessons on tobacco use prevention to fourth- fifth- and sixth-graders.
The students learned about the negative health effects of tobacco use, advertising ploys used by the tobacco industry, social consequences of tobacco use and information on the latest legislation regarding youth access and advertising targeting youth.
The training was provided by the New River Valley Breathin' Easy Coalition and fully funded by Project ASSIST, a federally funded project through the state Department of Health and the American Cancer Society.
Area students selected to attend the program were:
AUBURN HIGH: Amber Croy, Amanda Zeh and Nathan Reed, peer support members; Maria Estrada and Charles Jervis, sponsors.
BLACKSBURG HIGH: Timothy Williams and Brittany Clemmer, peer support members.
CHRISTIANSBURG HIGH: Nathan Brewbaker, Jay Clark, Josh Bradley, Lacy Maxwell, Karen Cox, Jenni Beller, Rachel Walden, Traci Barr, Jennifer Clark and April Orange, members of the Teens Need Teens peer support program; Kim Page and Regina Meredith, sponsors.
PULASKI COUNTY HIGH: Katrina Lloyd, Amanda Burke, Crystal Montgomery, Amber Belvins and Jason Grimes.
SHAWSVILLE HIGH: Larry Smith, Jessica Harr, April Ratliff, Georgia Bryant, Jessie Smith, peer support members.
CHEERS
Several students at Blacksburg High School have been named Commended Students in the 1996 National Merit Scholarship Program. Theses students are among the top 5 percent of more than 1 million students who entered the 1996 Merit Program by taking the 1994 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying Test.
The students are: Nathan Baumgartner, Shawn Cobb, Kevin Corbett, Christopher Donald, Whitney Foutz, Anna George, Brie Gettleson, Katherine Hoover, Shawfong Huang, Catherine Koebel, Sarah Landres, Elisabeth Newcomb, Rasheq Rahman, Rebecca Rainey, Jason Randolph, Jay Reynolds, Michael Shumsky, Samuel Simanjuntak, Jennifer Snow and Catherine Wheeler. Marjana Borojevic is commended posthumously for this honor.
PERFORMANCE
The Drama Department at Christiansburg High School presents "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" Friday and Saturday, at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The play is based on Mark Twain's book of the same title and presents a new slant on life in Camelot. The following students have roles in the play:
Gabriel Hudson, Patrick Swope, Amanda Simpson, Brandon Miller, Maegan Simpson, Matt Gardner, John DeRosset, Brad Manuel, Samantha Cosgriff, Natalie Huvar, Sidney Hollandsworth and Bridget West.
Tickets are $3 and will be available at the door.
EVENTS
Sign up now for the first Pulaski County High School Volleyball Smash tournament will be Dec. 9 at the school's gym.
Registration will be 8:30-9 a.m. the day of the tournament. Cost is $10 per person and the first 18 teams are guaranteed to play. Each player receives a tournament T-shirt.
All proceeds will go to the Pulaski County High girls volleyball team.
For more information or to register by phone, call Gene Hurst at 980-0855 or Diane Dixon at 980-7404.
Bebe Williams, a mixed-media artist and cartoonist, presents a slide lecture and a mixed media workshop titled "Photographic Wall Tiles" in Blacksburg Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the community room of the Blacksburg Police Department. The lecture is free.
For more information, call Betty Moore at 951-7933.
Bethel Elementary School will have its annual December Craft Fair Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors who are interested in space should call the school at 633-3215. Space is limited. Proceeds from the craft fair will be used to purchase supplies and equipment for classrooms and the library at the school. The school is located on Tyler Road in Christiansburg.
If you have an interesting school-related item for the paper, send it to Hale Sheikerz at The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, Va., 24073.
by CNB