A Service of The Arrow           Friday May 12, 2000 2:26 PM

By: JIM BENNETT

What fun could come from a geology class trip? How about following a buffalo herd in a bus or running through a warm geyser? From May 7 to the 9, FHS students traveled across Montana and Wyoming searching for the meaning of rock.

"We all had a really good time, and for the most part, we got along," said junior Jen Bruyer. "It was great we could put all the things we learned to use."

For students, the trip brought to life lessons taught in the classroom. The classes visited the Louis and Clark Caverns, Yellowstone National Park, and the Museum of the Rockies. At night, the students slept in tents.

"We stayed dry, but it was cold," said senior Michelle Schumacher. "There were about 30 people and we started with 14 tents, but the girls combined one tent to stay warm."

For many students, nutritional supplements on the trip consisted of gas station snacks, and roadside café food. Junior Chris Conklin, on the other hand, brought all the supplies he wanted or needed.

"I didn’t spend a dollar on the trip," said Conklin. "I guess you could say I was self-sufficient."

The entire class spent the first part of the year raising money for the trip. The students worked concessions at sporting events during the semester. Geology teacher Jeff Anderson spent the first part of the year planning the trip, and for students like Conklin, the extended planning made the trip more enjoyable.

"We had a great time," said Conklin. "We jumped on the bus, and looked at rock formations. It was like roadside geology.

On the final day, students took in the Museum of the Rockies. They had an opportunity to visit the planetarium, and see the other exhibits, including a space exploration exhibit. In the end, Anderson and the students both thought the goal was achieved.

"The point was to reemphasize the things we’ve learned in curriculum this year, to get hands on experience, and to make inferences about the environment based on previous experiments," said Anderson.

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