He
answered by gingerly running his thumb and forefinger along the
horizontal length of the rocket. When the rocket balanced, he knew he
had found the center.
Chris
listened intently as his very knowledgeable judge explained the
importance of gravitational balance in building a model rocket.
The
son of Debbie and Ron Ackerman of Lincoln, 12-year-old Chris is a
seventh grader at Chester-East Lincoln and a four-year member of the
Clovers 4-H Club.
This
is only his second year in rocketry, and Chris says he has already
learned a bunch from it. "4-H has introduced me to a lot of new
stuff," boasts Chris of his experiences in the rocketry,
entomology, electricity and forestry projects. He feels that his 4-H
project participation has really given him an edge in school,
especially when it comes to aerospace studies.
![](../../images/ads/Bluedog/Gossett-BlueDog.gif)
Future
rocket scientists like Chris begin each project year by building a new
rocket, installing an engine pack and launching it over and over.
(To top of second
column in this article)
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![](../../images/ads/art_balloon/Art-Balloon.jpg)
Although
rockets generally shoot straight up, the wind determines how far the
parachute will carry the rocket to its final landing spot. Chris and
his brother Craig have learned the hard way how the fierce winds of
the Logan County countryside can quickly blow a rocket off course.
Craig lost his rocket in a cornfield the day before the Logan County
Fair, while Chris’ state fair rocket hung around in a willow tree
for a few days.
Each
year of experience in rocketry means building a more complex and more
powerful rocket than the year before. Instead of using a pre-cut
rocket kit next year, Chris plans to design and cut out some of the
wing pieces himself.
"These
rockets are really fun, and they can be used over and over,"
exclaims Chris.
Chris
plans to check out some of the rocketry websites recommended by his
judge. "Someday, I hope to know as much as he does about
rockets."
Chris
will be able to advance that goal this October as he and other 4-H’ers
from Illinois attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.
[Marty
Ahrends]
|
Although
Abrigail is an experienced 4-H cook, she credits the judge’s
compliments to her grandmother’s recipe that includes cinnamon as
its secret ingredient.
This
year, Abrigail has focused her 4-H foods studies on preparing fruits
and vegetables as part of a meal. Yet the fair books list only a quick
bread made with a fruit or vegetable as an acceptable project for
competition.
The
judge in this category asked Abrigail about the four food groups and
what she does to keep her bread from burning on one corner. Then the
loaf is cut open. The judge checks for an even texture with no air
tunnels. The final test is for taste.
![](../../images/ads/lincoln_college/LincColl.gif)
The
seven-year member of the Beason Ag 4-H club is no stranger to picky
questions from judges. Abrigail quickly points out that "judges
are a lot pickier at the state fair because there is a lot more
competition." This is her seventh year studying foods and her
fourth year to exhibit at the state fair.
(To top of second
column in this article)
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![](../../images/ads/doug_demay/dougdemay.gif)
The
LCHS sophomore also works hard with her sewing, horse and rabbit
projects. Her enjoyment of the livestock projects has encouraged her
to pursue a future career involving animals.
Perhaps
her commitment to animals is why Abby’s group of three Californian
rabbits earned Junior Champion Meat Pen honors at the Logan County
Fair. Californian rabbits are all white, except for their black feet,
ears and noses. To determine the top place winner, judges examine how
close the three are in size and weight at the time of showing.
Abrigail
and her Californians were awarded 12th place out of 32
entries in the state fair Junior Rabbit competition.
[Marty
Ahrends]
|
Chris
Ackerman – model rocketry
Andy
Morgan – model rocketry
Heather
Altig – child development
Barry
Osborn – soybeans
Heather
Osborn – computers
Jennifer
Schahl – animal science
Daniel
Parson – wildlife
Jill
Patrick – photography
Tim
Uphoff – photography
Jessie
Maxheimer – photography
Allicent
Pech – sewing
Bethany
Furman – sewing
Hans
Bishop – prairie plants
Angela
Cunningham – vegetable plate
Abrigail
Sasse – foods
Betsy
Bakken – foods
Jackie
Bakken – foods
John
Brooks – foods
Mary
Healy – foods
Holly
Ingram – foods
Michelle
Johnson – foods
Leanna
Gleason – foods
Amanda
Davison – foods
Annie
Davison – foods
Kimber
Davison – foods
Susan
Cochran – foods
Samantha
Davison – foods
Danielle
Barr – electricity
William
White – electricity
Marty
Oltmanns – electricity
(To top of second
column in this list)
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Scott
Ubbenga – campcraft
Aaron
Uphoff – woodworking
Andrew
Fulton – woodworking
Tabetha
Cheseldine – woodworking
Dena
Wibben – citizenship
Zach
Tibbs – leadership
Mark
Cochran – intercultural
Troy
Wibben – entomology
Chase
Lowery – entomology
Ruth
Healy – entomology
Reid
Conklin –
Ashley
Lamb – home furnishings
Kelly
Dowling – home furnishings
Robin
Conklin –
Staci
Heironmyous – paper
Maggy
Gleason – visual arts
Molly
Gleason – visual arts
Bobbi
Green – visual arts
Kyle
Janssen – visual arts
Roxanne
Horath – visual arts
Kari
Jones – visual arts
Audra
Ballinger – visual arts
Abby
Coers – visual arts
Leila
Ballinger – visual arts
Elizabeth
Brooks – visual arts
|
There
are 2.6 million Illinois youth who participate in 4-H-sponsored
programs. Six thousand of those earned the right to exhibit at the
state fair because of their ratings at the county fairs. In Illinois,
4-H’ers don’t just take their projects to display at the fair,
they actually meet face to face with the judge to explain how and why
they constructed the project.
"Conference
judging is an excellent way to determine how much a 4-H’er learns
from their projects," explains Joann Benz, Logan County 4-H youth
specialist. "Often the judge’s final ruling weighs heavier on
what the kid says rather than the qualities of the project they
exhibit."
![](../../images/ads/Bluedog/Gossett-BlueDog.gif)
Logan
County was actually only one of 10 counties that were scheduled to be
judged that day. It would be too great a feat to bring all of the
state’s top 4-H’ers together for judging on the same day.
Judging
stations are set up in every corner of the Junior Activities building.
Anxious 4-H’ers wait in the auditorium with parents and friends for
their 10-minute session with an expert judge. When their name is
finally called, the young people know that they could be asked to
answer some very specific and odd questions.
Leanna
Gleason of Elkhart was asked what kind of marshmallows she used in
making her rice krispie treats. Thinking that the judge meant
"large or small" she answered appropriately. But what the
very picky judge was really probing for was the brand of marshmallows
used.
![](../../images/082100pics/4h-leanna.jpg)
[Leanna
Gleason with judge]
This
was just the first year that the 11-year-old daughter of Robert and
Nina Gleason competed at the state fair. Leanna and her family are
looking forward to a new foods project next year. "None of us
liked eating the rice krispie treats," admitted Leanna. "I
probably won’t ever make them again."
(To top of second
column in this article)
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![](../../images/ads/art_balloon/Art-Balloon.jpg)
Leanna’s
older twin sisters, Maggy and Molly Gleason, competed in the visual
arts division. This was also the first year of state fair exhibiting
for the eighth graders at Elkhart School. Both girls have taken an
interest in gardening and artistic projects.
![](../../images/082100pics/4h-molly.jpg)
[Molly
Gleason and her twist paper doll]
Molly
constructed a twist-tie paper doll that earned a superior ribbon. She
had to explain to the judge that all the materials were purchased at a
local craft store and that it took three hours to make. The visual
arts judge also asked her specifically how it was made and what she
would change in the design if she were to make the doll again.
![](../../images/082100pics/4h-maggy.jpg)
[Maggy
Gleason and her pressed flower project]
Maggy
competed in the nature division with an attractive pressed flower
design of a lady. She conceived of the unique framed project herself.
"I just thought it would be cool to make it like that,"
explained Maggy.
After
their judging sessions were finished, the girls and their parents took
off to see the rest of the fair. They and the other participants
returned around 2:30 for the day’s closing ceremonies and to see if
their projects were judged the best in their division.
Check
out Lincoln Daily News later this week for profiles on 4-H'ers
Abrigail Sasse, Chris Ackerman and Zac Tibbs.
Click
here to check
out the photo page for more of the activities from last Thursday.
[Marty
Ahrends]
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