02 Broadcaster Press April 1, 2014 www.broadcasteronline.com Meet Shelby, Mady and Madelyn By David Lias david.lias@plaintalk.net Place Vermillion Middle School eighthgraders Mady Gilbertson, Madelyn Zevecke, and Shelby Brady in a room together to talk about Asian carp, and it doesn’t take long for a unique brand of managed chaos to break out. The three classmates are among the students in Natasha Gault’s eighth grade science class whose work and research on the problem of Asian carp in South Dakota waterways, particularly the Missouri River, has received national attention. It’s a problem that the three young women have grown passionate about as they and their classmates have concentrated on ways to solve it this school year. The eighth-grade science students learned in late February that they were on the brink of perhaps winning impressive national recognition and a significant monetary award for the Vermillion School District. “You can see as a whole from this class that they certainly aren’t lacking in passion, and I think that was part of the contributing factor in making this project so successful,” Natasha said. “You see this managed chaos, and it actually has a positive outcome in most scenarios.” The class project – a study of Asian carp, competed with similar science-related projects from students across the nation in the 2014 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. Asian carp are an invasive species of fish. The students focused on how to control its spread in waters in South Dakota, including lakes and rivers where boating and fishing are popular. Among the 2,300 applicants from schools across the country, the Vermillion eighth-graders carp control project was selected as one of 51 winners on the state level, including Washington, DC. The field of applicants was narrowed even further, as Samsung selected the top 15 national finalists. The VMS Carp Control project was among that final 15. In the final part of the contest, Samsung chose five national winners from those 15 finalists. The Vermillion students’ project wasn’t chosen as a national winner, but you’d be hard pressed to find disappointment among the students who are still actively researching the Asian carp problem and seeking solutions The 2013-14 school year long ago exceeded the expectations of Shelby, Mady and Madelyn. “This fall, I expected this school year to be really, really boring,” Madelyn said. “I didn’t really expect doing this big of a project. I had expected a regular school year, like I’ve had every year since I was 5,” Shelby said. “This school year was amazing – probably one of the best school years I’ve ever had. There were so many new opportunities, and amazing teachers. This project really brightened up the school year.” “At the beginning, I really didn’t want to be a part of the Asian carp process, but I really got into it after we made state,” Mady said. “It got real exciting. Even though we didn’t win at nationals, we still got a real good experience out of all of this.” Samsung created its Solve for Tomorrow contest to emphasize the importance of future economic development that will be forged by students who are proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects. The contest is designed Vermillion Middle School eighth-graders who made public presentations about their Asian carp control research include Shelby Brady, Brooklyn Kirsch, Mady Gilbertson, Ethan Simmons and Sagarika Ghosh, who traveled to Austin, TX, Wyatt Waage, Stian Olson, Shay Peck, Madelyn Zevecke, Kinsey James, and Emily Rolfes. Part of this group is pictured above. (Photo courtesy of Vermillion School District) by Samsung to raise student interest in STEM subjects nationwide through innovative programs. That goal certainly appears to have been achieved at Vermillion Middle School through the eighth-grader’s Carp Control project. “After the experience we’ve had, you look back on it and it went by really fast,” Mady said. “Things went really quick. One moment, you’re doing something to try to get into nationals, and at the beginning, to try to get into state,” Madelyn said, “and even if we didn’t make into nationals, it didn’t really matter, because once we did this, we figured out it was an actual problem. “This is something that no one really realized. All you had seen about it was funny videos on You Tube You’re You’re o invited! and save now with rebates up to $2300 of flying fish hitting people in the face,” she said. “Well now, we’ve discovered this is happening near you, and that will mean you can’t fish anymore, you can’t boat without having those things slap you in the face. It’s just awful.” Natasha and two of her students, Sagarika Ghoush and Ethan Simmons, traveled to Austin, TX, on March 3 to present the details of the Carp Control project before judges who later decided the national winners. On March 24, they shared the news, via their facebook page, that their project was not selected as a national winner. “While we are disappointed in the final outcome, we are fortunate to have had such a remarkable experience! We were able to apply scientific skills to a Exploring an FDA-approved treatment option for MS relapses You plus one caregiver or friend are invited to this complimentary educational session where an MS healthcare professional will discuss available treatment options for MS relapses in adults, and much more. plus ask about our Bonus Discount Registration Information Registration Event Information Call 1-877-219-0410 or HEATING & COOLING 920 Broadway, Yankton • 665-9461 • 1-800-491-9461 Date Monday, April 14, 2014 visit www.msrelapseprogram.com Check-in 5:30 PM Use Program ID # 1528. Time 6:00 PM Location Minerva's 1607 South Dakota 50 Yankton, SD 57078 Complimentary meal and parking will be provided. Please RSVP by: Sunday, April 13, 2014. Presented by Pam R. Kuhl, RN Schapiro MS Center RTEC Adds OSHA 30 Compliance, Knitting Without Needles Classes Golden Valley, MN Daryl K., Pt. Ambassador La Vista, NE community problem in a way that was meaningful,” their announcement states. “We were fortunate to have expert volunteers that brought this project to life. We were fortunate to have you, as a community, supporting us and this important issue. We are truly appreciative and humbled by this experience. While the contest has ended, we will continue to address Asian Carp in the Missouri River with USD and the NPS.” The students admit that being selected as national winners would have been nice, but as their work focused on how to solve the Asian carp issue continued, the problem itself gained precedence. The contest became secondary. “I think we stopped caring whether we won as long as we really got our problem across, because it is a serious issue,” Mady said. “You have the passion, and I have the followthrough and the managerial skills,” Natasha told Shelby, Mady, and Madelyn as she described the efforts of the Vermillion eighth-grade science class. “You put those together, and you get things done.” “At the beginning, you made this sound like a big, big deal,” Mady said to her teacher, “which made me indecisive at first, because I had sports and so many other things. But I figured since it was such a big opportunity, I had better All MS relapse therapy decisions should be made under the guidance of your healthcare professional. n CARP, Page 7 ©2013 Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. PM-01-01-0483 1/14 Knitting Without Needles Class: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Apr. 5, 2014. 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