AL SENIOR CHELSEA COLPITTS WINS STATE DISCUS

AL Senior Chelsea Colpitts won the state 4-A class for discus Thursday's at Drake Stadium. Colpitts’ winning mark of 148-8 broke the school record at Abraham Lincoln by nearly three feet and topped her previous career-best by more than eight. It was also the fourth-longest winning throw among large school champions in the history of the state meet and the second-longest in that class since 1987. Read more about Chelsea's throw in an article published in the Omaha World Herald.

AL STUDENTS COMPETE AT BLUFFS ENGINEERING DAY

On May 6th students from AL's PLTW Pre-Engineeirng Academy attended the 3rd annual Bluffs Engineering Day at Lewis Central High School. Students from AL's Civil Engineering and Architecture class presented this year's solutions for a community building. After surveying, polling and testing soil, students designed and modeled their solutions and prepared for the competition. Alejandro Banderas, Brandon Floyd and Jamison Lalk won the Universal Design Award for their state-of-the-art athletic center, including basketball and volleyball courts, a fitness and weightlifting facility, children's play area and more. Cameron Burris, Jennifer Smith, Tyler Warnke and Jordan White won the Most Innovative Design Award for their public media center, consisting of a library, coffee shop, reading lounge, children's area, sound-proof recording studio, conference center and classrooms.

For their Engineering Design and Development course project, Erin Addison and Logan Combs won the Most Innovative Solution Award designing a fractal antenna to improve the standard car radio antenna, based on the antennas found in today's cell phones and other wireless devices. These three teams will now go on to represent AL at the 2010 Iowa PLTW Virtual Student Symposium.

AL STUDENT RALLIES PARTICIPATION IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS WALK

AL student Hannah Zimmerman is working hard to promote the Council Bluffs "Great Strides" walk organized nationally by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She is devoting her time to supporting this event aimed at raising awareness and support for a cure of this life-threatening disease. The cause is dear to Hannah's heart, having a close family friend struggling with CF for many years.

The walk event will be held at North Shore Park in Lake Manawa on May 15th, 2010. Check in will start at 8:00 AM and the run/ walk will start at 9:00 AM. Registratino for a 5K and 10K course around Lake Manawa can be completed online. Strollers and dogs are welcome. The race is free, but each participant is encouraged to collect donations from friends and family. All proceeds go directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for researching a cure. If you would like to donate, send money to Abraham Lincoln High School, Attn: Hannah Zimmerman. Make checks payable to “CB’s Great Strides for CF”.

AL BANDS PARTICIPATE IN BIG APPLE MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Abraham Lincoln High School Concert Band and Jazz Band under the direction of Terry Hanzlik recently participated in the Big Apple Music Festival in New York City, New York.  The music festival was sponsored by Performing Arts Consultants Company.  The bands performed for three adjudicators/music educators from Seton Hall University, Columbia University and the New York City School system.  The results were excellent as the concert band received a Division I rating and 1st Place in the concert band contest, with the Jazz Band receiving a Division I in the jazz band contest.  Luke Thallas, 11th grader at ALHS, was voted the outstanding soloist of the music festival.

AL SENIOR COURTNEY OLSON PROMOTES ATHLETIC SAFETY

On March 8th, Courtney Olson presented to soccer girls and parents on the dangers of concussions incurred while playing soccer and the need for protective headgear.  During her presentation, Courtney shared shocking statistics that revealed that soccer concussions occur frequently with 36 injuries per 100,000 players and fall second only to American football with 47 injuries.  Recently, Courtney suffered a concussion, having experienced a prior concussion in her sophomore year that created vision difficulties, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and learning struggles.  This second concussion could mean being out the rest of the season in soccer.  However, the message she gave stressed not only of short term struggles and health problems that a concussion could cause but also more serious problems resulting in long term brain impairment, personality changes, and most serious of all, death.  In her speech, Courtney said, "In a sport where such terrible injury can occur, and we protect our shins with shin guards, why not protect something that is far more precious: our brain?"

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