Tuesday, June 17 - 2008

A daily journal of the events taking place during the Sturgen City programs for 2008.

---

Horses take the lead at YL
By: Stacey McDaniel and Symoné Whitfield

Tuesday morning the Young Leaders Institute took a trip to the Sturgeon City Park and received a lesson on what it takes to be an effective leader from horse trainers Kristen Gahl and Aleck Barnard. Chance, Ginger, and Spencer, three of the horses from Coastal Carolina HorseSense, Inc. aided in this presentation.



The first activity planned for the group was setting up the panels into a round pen for the horses. The group was divided into two teams; one blindfolded, who were allowed to speak and the other, able to see, but not talk. Their goal was to use good teamwork and leadership skills to complete this task within 15 minutes. At first the chore appeared to be difficult, but when the groups took action, they found that their mission was easier to take on. The students learned that to have effective leadership you must be able to listen. Danielle Butts, a rising senior from Northside High said that “listening is the biggest skill and also being able to give good directions both verbally and non-verbally”.
The next activity of the day tested the students on their listening skills. Kristen Gahl read a short story once and then instructed the students to number their papers one to ten. She then asked ten questions in which they could only answer true, false, or don’t know. This showed that active listening is a key element of being a good leader.
The final activity of the morning was lead by Aleck Barnard. The YL were divided into five teams with one leader in each group. Each team’s leader guided Ginger around the pen. This interaction was used to demonstrate communication and leadership through motion. As Taylor Gray, a sophomore from Swansboro High puts it, “Horses are basically just like humans, they have emotions and everything.”

Throughout the day, the student’s headship skills were put to the test. They were able to learn the qualities and skills necessary to be an effective and active leader.

 

Land Application Plant
By Crystal Bungori & Lexi Horn

Mud, mud, and more mud is what the Science Institute experienced during the first day of Sturgeon City. One of their first adventures took place at the Land Application’s lily pond. They started off as any scientist should by testing the PH level, salinity, temperature, etc. Then they did the fun part, exploring the lily pad in hot waders. Andrew Dail, a 13-year-old Swansboro Middle School student, agrees with others that the experience is fun, but the smell is horrible.
Many of the Science Institute students expect to learn more about wildlife and the habitats of various endangered species. This Sturgeon City task consisted of getting down and dirty in the mucky water. A few students including 14-year-old, Ashton Billingsley, decided to stay on land to take pictures for a future presentation.

After learning about the lily pad, the Science Institute transitioned to the forest. The students were educated about what it is like to be a forest manager. Forestry is the science of planting and managing trees. Forestry includes logging which is cutting down trees. Logging can be bad and good. Forest managers cut down the weak trees to harvest so the growth of the stronger trees will speed up. Cutting down the weaker trees decreases the chances of a controlled fire turning into a wildfire.

Overall the land application plant was a fun and educational experience for all of the Science Institute.

 

Sturgeon once used the New River for spawning.
Habitat: Main channel of large rivers, and estuaries; may be found in all water depths in rivers
Weight: Adults average about eight pounds.
Length: Adults can grow to 36-38 inches  
Life Expectancy: Ages 50 to 75 years have been reported. (Southern populations less than 20 years)
Food: Primarily invertebrates, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and snails
Status: Federally and state endangered
Identification: Sturgeon are primitive-looking fishes, with a heterocercal tail (the upper lobe is much longer than the lower lobe) and a body covered with five rows of large bony plates. These heavy, cylindrical fish have an elongated, bony snout with a tube-like mouth located on the underside of the head. The mouth protrudes several inches when the fish is feeding. Shortnose sturgeon range in color from grayish-olive to brownish above, shading to white on the belly.
Shortnose sturgeon are sometimes called "bigmouth" sturgeon. The width of their mouths can be greater than 60 percent of the distance between the eyes. Atlantic sturgeon have small mouths that measure 50 percent or less of the distance measured between the eyes.
Sturgeon have migrated back to Wilson Bay, at the mouth of the New River.

Did You Know?
Did you know that it takes three days to make a habit and three days to break the habit of horses?
Did you know it takes about 250 gallons of water per year to support one person in the United States?
Did you know the BioTower at Sturgeon City is 52 square by 30 feet high?

 

Making Cents of Finances
By: Will Hanes and Kristin Houle

Financial planning for high school students can be tough. Luckily, the students of the SLDI received a few helpful hints about what to expect in the years to come financially. The students traveled by bus to Marine Federal Credit Union, where Wendy McGill and Louis Summerville spoke to the students about budgeting & financial planning. Summerville focused on car buying strategies, from budgeting for a vehicle to avoiding getting taken advantage of by shifty dealerships. McGill’s focus was on goal-setting and the hidden costs of the junior and senior years of high school. The students diligently took notes and filled out budget worksheets in an interactive presentation. This enabled the students to become more conscious of the consequences of their financial decisions. Wade Glitz, a rising sophomore at Lejeune was impressed by the speakers, remarking, “Now I know what expenses I have to pay, and what to save up for.”

When purchasing a vehicle, there are a few questions to ask, such as:

-What is the cost of the car?
-What are the monthly payments?
Some tips include:
-Always double-check the contract, don’t leave any blank spaces.
-A typical car costs 25% of one’s take-home income. Be sure to make sure you can afford one before signing anything.
-Refer to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) website, or the Kelley Bluebook for a fair price on used cars.
-Check up on consumer reports and auto magazines to make an informed decision.