By Joel Zamora Staff Writer Red Lion is one of very few schools in the entire nation to have an electron microscope in their possession. The school has owned the electron microscope for over 10 years thanks to the generosity of Mr. Ken Converse who had five children who attended the school in the district. Converse owns a company that provides electron microscope maintenance throughout the East Coast. Converse offered to give the electron microscope to the high school. Ms. Heather Fogell, Red Lion high school science teacher, was one of the teachers who was eager to grasp this once in a lifetime opportunity. Fogell is one of the most knowledgeable about the electron microscope and she uses it often for closer examination of everyday products, insect eyes, fibers, and leaves. According to Fogell, Converse wanted to provide an opportunity for students to experience some fun high tech science equipment use. The electron microscope has many great uses that are beneficial to the scientific community.
“The best use is an indirect use,” Mrs. Fogell said, “and the whole reason why we were given the electron microscope was to spark interest in science through allowing students to have an experience that they may not otherwise have.” In the past, students have been allowed to utilize the electron microscope for several different projects that include plant pollen studies, fish scale comparison to a human fingerprint, insects, and everyday products at a much closer look. Juniors Mickayla Smith and Levi Jones have been working on a project involving recycling a plastic into glowing fibers that has utilized the electron microscope which has helped them to get to the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair “It’s a great learning experience,” said Mickayla Smith, “You’re able to see things on a different level that you cannot see under any other microscope.” The microscope provides students with a rare, unique opportunity that is almost completely nonexistent for high schools in the nation that, with experience, will look remarkable to almost anyone who looks at your resume or college applications in the future. “If you have any interest in science and you want to stand out, get some time on it,” said Ms. Fogell. “Learn how to use it, be comfortable with it, and then you can say that you’ve utilized it. They [interviewers and colleges] may not believe that you have because it’s so rare of a high school to have it.”
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