How to Become A Forestry Expert

The answers may be on your phone…

By Charlie Bennett

“You need to get a general idea of how to identify certain trees. You can go in your backyard to practice, or even use an app on your phone,” says Kevin Wang, a Senior at Ames High School, who has been fascinated by trees ever since he joined his school’s Science Olympiad club. He’s had to master the art of forestry, identifying trees, their properties and characteristics, fun facts, and even their environmental impact in order to lead his team to success in their trivial matches against other schools. 

“You must start by looking at the leaves and needles, and decide whether it’s a deciduous tree or a coniferous tree.” Deciduous trees feature leaves that fall off yearly, while coniferous trees feature cones, which are present year-round. Deciphering between the basic types of trees is the most entry-level way to figure out the type of tree. Once you’re comfortable with these differences, practice, practice, and practice some more. As Kevin said, head out into your backyard, go for a walk, or look out your window. Download a tree identification app and take mental note of the small differences between trees. Begin by deciphering between common trees, like maples and oak. Slowly increase the difficulty and soon enough you’ll be an expert!

“It’s a great feeling to go for a walk and know exactly what’s happening in the forest around me,” said Kevin. He’s found greater pleasure in simple activities like going for a walk, as he feels accomplishment in identifying a tree with a glance. “It really is a great hobby and skill to have in your repertoire.” declared Kevin. 

We get it. You’re busy. You have enough on your plate. When are you ever really going to need to decipher trees? Well, “It could save your life”, said Kevin. Let’s say you’re out camping. You get lost with no wood to start a fire, no tools to survive, and no food. Being a tree expert could bail you out. If you know enough trees, you’ll know which trees have non-poisonous berries, which have the best bark for a fire, and which bark is sturdy enough to be used as a tool. Long story short, never be too proud to learn about trees. 

Should athletes who’ve cheated be forced to forfeit their medals?

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Cheaters have historically been one of the most negative aspects of sports. Baseball, football, soccer, and almost every major sport have had their fair share of cheaters, but due to the grueling physical demands of endurance sports, no two sports have been more plagued with foul play than track & field and cycling. In recent years, cheating in the form of steroids and blood doping has become much easier to detect, but this hasn’t always been the case. Historically, it’s speculated that many of the greatest athletes to ever compete in track and cycling cheated, but it’s difficult to confirm. Today, many seeking a clean sport pose the question, should athletes who’ve cheated be forced to forfeit their medals? My short answer is absolutely. When it comes to forfeiting records, it gets a little bit more complicated.

As a fairly competitive runner, I know how difficult it is to rise to the top of the sport, and the sheer amount of hard work and dedication required to become successful. Some dedicate their lives to these sports, while others cheat their way to the top. It is simply unethical to allow cheaters to be considered champions.

A world-famous example of cheating in cycling comes at the expense of Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong was a 7 time Tour de France champion and one of the most dominant athletes the world has ever seen. After an incredible rise to fame and success, Armstrong’s use of performance-enhancing drugs was discovered and his medals, records, and reputation were stripped of him. Another prominent example, this time in track and field, hails from the 100m dash. Ben Johnson, a rising track star at the time, defeated Carl Lewis in the 100m final at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. 3 days later, Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids. His gold medal was swiftly removed, he was banned from the sport, and his world record was revoked. The examples of Lance Armstrong and Ben Johnson are two fantastic examples of how cheating athletes should be handled. The problem now lies in the difficulty of tracing modern steroids. 

 Switching gears and looking at the MLB, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Barry Bonds is a confirmed steroid user. His most successful 6 seasons were fueled by steroid use. Despite all of this, Bonds holds numerous MLB records and is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever play the sport. This recognition and status in the sport is permitted because the MLB didn’t begin to crack down on steroid use until 2003. This allowed Bonds to dominate the sport without consequence. Similarly, World Athletics(track & field) didn’t ban steroid use until 1967, even so, it took another 9 years for them to ban anabolic steroids. Although steroids were “banned” post-1976, the tests were not accurate or advanced. This leads me to records in sports. Some of the greatest athletic feats in the history of track and cycling were achieved from 1950 through 1980. While it is an unfortunate reality, at this time cheating was a massive part of both sports. Many look back on this time and argue records must be discredited, but since cheating was a legitimate part of the sport, I argue that we must leave the history alone.

Gonchar, Michael. “Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Oct. 2012, archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/should-athletes-who-dope-have-to-forfeit-their-titles-and-medals/.

“Ben Johnson’s 9.79: A World Record-Sized Scandal in Seoul | NBC Sports.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Apr. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD17llSlygk&ab_channel=NBCSports.

Macramalla, Eric. “The Case against Barry Bonds Getting into the Hall of Fame.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/ericmacramalla/2022/01/25/the-case-against-barry-bonds-getting-into-the-hall-of-fame/?sh=44db7754114a.

Should cheaters be stripped of medals and records in athletics?

Track and field and cycling are two of the most difficult sports to become elite in. These are two of the most physically and mentally exhausting sports around. Due to this difficulty, running and cycling see more cheaters than any other sport. Some of the greatest track runners, and bikers to ever grace to planet were later confirmed cheaters, and many believe that there were countless cheaters in the past who were never confirmed. Unfortunately, when talented athletes cheat, they are at an incredible advantage, and this often results in wins. This has sparked a massive debate in the athletic community. Many ask the question, should cheating athletes have to forfeit their medals? My short answer, absolutely. As a runner, I know how difficult it is to become competitive, let alone the best in the world. There are too many athletes who work too hard to have their achievements discredited by cheaters, so I believe cheaters in the sport should have their medals and records stripped. For example, Lance Armstrong was a 7 time Tour de France champion, but was discovered to have used absurd amounts of performance enhancing drugs, his medals and records were all stripped. Additionally, track star Ben Johnson won the Olympic 100m gold medal, but was discovered for doping, so his gold medal was given to 2nd place, Carl Lewis. I think these two examples show how the situations should be dealt with, and represent how to give proper consolidation to athletes cheated out of medals. Lastly, many believe that some of the greatest athletes in history were undiscovered cheaters, and believe that old records should be forgotten. This is not a viable solution, the sport must crack down on cheating today, and move forward with honesty and quality in the sport.

The Experience of a Brand New High School in 2023

By Charlie Bennett

Credit: OPN Architects

Being a high schooler in today’s society presents many new long-term advantages. As a current student at Ames High School, I can confidently say that modern teaching and technology have provided me with many advantages that earlier generations did not possess.

For example, Ames has just recently finished up its brand new high school, with top-of-the-line learning equipment and technology. Understandably, this delivers a phenomenal environment for me to efficiently learn and be a good student. Ames utilizes personal computers for students, as well as brand-new projectors for lectures. These tools provide myself, and my peers with access to unbelievable amounts of tools for education. I have been able to do individualistic research for class and my interests. Ames’ technology has made me a better and more efficient student. 

Additionally, modern education and practices make learning much more efficient and useful for students’ futures. In the past, many students were taught false information and topics that would be considered heavily offensive and wrong today.

A part of Ames that makes our education so special is our diversity and openness to all. Ames is home to a wide variety of cultures, people, sexual orientations, and interests; because of this, I am surrounded by many different perspectives on life. As a white male, it can be difficult for me to grasp certain views on controversial topics; having so many different types of people to share their perspectives in our school really helps me develop extremely well-rounded viewpoints in life.

To add to Ames’ progressiveness, I’ve experienced some extremely eye-opening topics. For example, to be able to learn about racism, sexism, activism, social justice, and much more has given me a great opportunity to develop modern viewpoints and a good perspective on relevant topics and issues. 

Lastly, being a student in high school right now can truly be a fun time. To have freedom in school, see friends, and participate in sports and clubs, all create an extremely positive and fun environment to learn in. Personally, my involvement in track, cross country, and basketball has brought me many new, close friends and countless fun memories. In addition, these activities have taught me to be a more dedicated, better person.

All in all, Ames High has given me a truly special learning environment, as well as many social opportunities.

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