Student Spotlight
Jake Ciesielski is only a freshman in high school, but already making a difference on the planet. Ciesielski is the “founder” of the inaugural environmental club at Marquette.
“A few classmates and I discussed with Mr. Fettig about starting this club. Mr. Fettig has been very helpful by offering to be our sponsor and to assist with this club’s projects. The environmental club will give students the opportunity to be outside and to clean up our community,” said Ciesielski.
Their activities include “cleaning up local areas such as the beach and helping out at a local garden. The environmental club focuses on having a positive impact on this planet.”
Ciesielski has a real passion for science; “I became interested in science when I learned it could help me understand how things work...I like science because it provides explanations about the world we live in.”
Besides environmental club, Ciesielski is involved in much more at Marquette including cross country, basketball, golf, and quiz bowl. He is also the freshmen class representative on student council and a member of the technology team. His favorite thing about Marquette is “that a lot of students are open to trying new things.” In the future, he plans on attending college and majoring in engineering.
Teacher Spotlight
Mr. Thomas Deskovich is the science authority of Marquette. Deskovich started teaching in 1990, so he has taught for nearly 30 years. This year at Marquette he teaches Physics, Advanced Chemistry, and regular Chemistry but “any other time, just about all the sciences and engineering.”
His teaching philosophy is “Work hard. It will all work out for the better especially for my students.” His science background ranges “from hands-on to textbooks and their applications in theory and in practice.”
Why does Deskovich enjoy science so much? “It goes to my teaching philosophy because it has to do with how it affects our practical everyday living, and it could be very rewarding should you find it that it does not control you, that you are the controller.”
Having taught so many sciences, it is hard for him to choose just one of his favorite areas.
“That’s a tough one because I am interested in all areas of science because they interrelate each other and to separate one from each other is feasible and probable; sometimes I feel like I am in expert in those,” said Deskovich.
His biggest influence is “If it has to be just one then it has to be The Good Lord. Everyone else follows from that-my immediate family, my wife, in-laws, everyone who is polite to me.” His advice to his students is “Apply what you know in the real world. Don't be afraid to go back or to look ahead to what’s new in investigations like seminars, talks, etc.”
What recently happened
The newly formed environmental club is the next big thing at Marquette. It was the brainchild of a few students at Marquette including Jake Ciesielski, Brendan Mack, and others.
Brendan Mack commented, “I’ve had the opportunity to live near the beach and travel to several beautiful places around the globe, and I was, along with a few friends, inspired to create Marquette’s environmental club to give back to the Earth and preserve our environment.”
The club plans on “doing beach cleanups, inspiring others on being more environmentally conscious, and possibly working on a garden.”
Another member of the club, Mary Kate Bobillo, said, “I joined the environmental club because it is a good way to help the environment and a good way to change the way things are being done at home and school. It's also something that a lot of my friends are doing, so it's great for us to get outside and clean up!... I think this club will open many opportunities and help me understand the environment better.”
What’s coming up
For the first time in many years, Marquette will be hosting a science fair for its students in Chemistry and Physics. Each student is required to come up with a science fair project relating to their area of study.
Janae Galburth’s project is just one example. Galburth’s project “is about creating artificial air pressure with a liter of water. Pressure is all around us so it'll be cool to actually be able to see it.”
Her project was inspired by her Honors Chemistry class.
“When we talked about how air pressure plays an important role in physical science, it really interested me even though I couldn't wrap my mind around it very well. My experiment is a demonstration to myself to really understand how air pressure works,” said Galburth.
Each student was able to come up with their own idea for the project, which had to include a model. An additional example of a science project being exhibited is Penelope Prokuski’s. Prokuski is “going to wrap a raw egg in tissues, cotton balls, tape, and other soft material. Once it’s protected, I’m going to drop it from a higher level and observe if the protective material actually stops the egg from cracking.” She “chose the area of physics because of personal interest, and I took physics in previous high school years.”
Finally, Hunter Sheets’ project was modeling several reactions using various mixtures and measuring their reactivity. He “chose the chemistry area of science because people don’t realize reactions happen within us everyday, and the reactions happen quickly.” The science fair will be held May 4.