RHS students fare well in SFA Biology exam

Rusk high schoolers were among more than 450 students from 24 public schools who participated in the 22nd annual biology achievement exam Friday at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Rusk was second place winner in the Biology II school category and Joey Marchetti won second place in the Biology II student category.

Danielle Goodwin and Nicolas Melton of Rusk each received honorable mentions in the Biology I, Category A student competition.

After the test students toured the Miller Science Building at SFA to view exhibits and to see how laboratories are conducted.

Trophies were awarded to schools that finished in first, second and third places, and students with the highest test scores were awarded cash prizes, said Dr. Dennis Gravatt, biology department chairman. First-place winners received $100, second-place winners received $50 and third-place winners received $25, along with a plaque.

"We also presented several honorable mentions and medals," Gravatt said. "We had several categories, based on the size of the school and the amount of biology the students have had. This made it an even playing field for all levels of biology preparedness."

The biology achievement exam included questions that appear on freshman-level tests in biology, botany and zoology classes.

"We give the students 100 sample questions and see how they do," Gravatt said, adding that the event is meant to expose the students to the college experience.

After the test, students toured labs manned by faculty and instructors.

"They visited the botany lab, the anatomy and physiology lab, the mammal and herpetology labs, the entomarium, and they got to see the electron microscopes up and running," Gravatt said. "The pre-professional advisor also provided information to the high school teachers and sponsors."

This year was one of the most successful events in the exam's history, Gravatt said. One of the largest groups traveled from Mineola and schools including Cayuga, Gladewater, Hempstead, Ore City, West Rusk and Woodville came for the first time this year.

"Pine Tree was the only junior high," he said. "The rest were high schools. We're always happy when this event comes around, because it presents a rare opportunity for us to expose a large number of high school students to SFA to show them what we have to offer. I can't say enough about how much we appreciate the teachers and sponsors who work so hard to get the students here."