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News
SPRING 2015
You Could Even Say it Glows:
New Biology Program Ups the Ante
Ali Aste
an advanced laboStaff Writer
Though here for
the arts focus, many
students at OCSA are
just as comfortable
with calculators and
the quadratic equation or gloves and
beakers as they are
with a paintbrush or
drumsticks. In fact,
many students plan
to pursue careers in a
mathematic or scientific discipline.
Some of those students who aspire to
such careers and are
enrolled in OCSA’s
AP Biology course
have received an
opportunity for more
hands-on learning
than usual at the
high school level in
AP Biology teacher
Katrina Taylor’s
class.
“I feel really privileged to teach these
skills to [students], because they’re genuine transferrable skills
to a career or major,”
said Taylor.
Funded by the
biotech company
Amgen, the Amgen
Biotechnology Experience allows students
the chance to use
professional techniques to complete
ratory procedure.
The goal of the lab
is to learn the skill of
cloning. While not
quite at the mad
scientist or clone
trooper level, this
experiment involves
inserting DNA into
bacteria that then
codes for red fluorescent protein, giving
the bacteria a reddish glow. Though
not Rudolph’s nose
bright, it’s still pretty
cool.
“Yes I thought
they were helpful
for learning about
the concepts. It was
more of a hands on
experience,” said Junior Sophia Steinhorn
(IA).
The difference
between this lab and
any others, explains
Taylor, is, “These are
techniques that
you would be using
in college or on a
daily basis if you were
working at a biotech
company or as a
scientist.”
This is not the first
year AP Biology
students have participated in the Amgen
Biotech Experience.
It is, however, the first
time they will get to
complete the purifi-
Illustration by: Esther Park
cation process, which ated. I feel like I was
was not possible the
more involved in the
previous year due to
learning,” said Junior
time constraints.
Kira Wendlind (MT).
Taylor said the labs
The experience of
were going well so
creating these glowfar, with most stuing bacteria has truly
dents completing the given the scientifisteps successfully.
cally minded in the
“My favorite part is
OCSA community a
being able to keep
chance to shine.
the proteins we cre-
Thank you LA Times
Kate Fahey
On April Fool’s Day, the
Co-Editor in Chief Evolution team killed staff
advisor, Joshua Jennings
Wood. Jk. In reality, the staff toured the Los
Angeles Times building.
We sat in at their morning editorial meeting
to discuss what would be featured in the next
issue. Panels of editors and staff writers spoke
to us about their jobs and backrounds.
A class favorite was Todd Martins, pop culture writer, who was playing a Nintendo DS
on a break one day at work and was offered
a job to write video game reviews.
Thank you to the LA Times for teaching us
about business, dedication, and hard work.