Geckos – Not just for selling car insurance
By Dr. Anndrea Hatcher
Olive Branch Parke Veterinary Clinic
www.olivebranchvet.com
Luckily for the car insurance company Geico, geckos are one of the few lizards that can communicate verbally. (Although not with a cute Cockney accent) Go to gekkota.com/html/sounds_s_petrii.html to hear gecko conversation.
There are hundreds of different types of geckos. The Geico gecko is a Gold Dust Day Gecko (GDDG). The most common type of pet gecko is a Leopard Gecko (LG). They are as different as night and well, day.
Literally. GDDGs are diurnal and LGs are nocturnal. GDDGs need a tropical environment with high humidity. LGs are desert dwellers, used to lower humidity except when is it time to shed. GDDGs have a clear protective membrane over their eyes instead of eyelids. They keep their windshields clean with their tongues. LGs have regular old eyelids. GDDGs have amazing sticky toe pads that let them hang upside-down on leaves or attach themselves to the side of glass aquariums. They can do this because of Van der Waals forces which I can neither explain nor understand. LGs don’t have exotic sticky toes; they have tiny claws.
When choosing a gecko for a pet, it is important to learn about that particular type of gecko’s natural habitat so you can care for it properly. LGs got their name because they are covered with leopard-like spots. They grow to be 10 inches long and can live 20 to 30 years when properly cared for.
Don’t catch a gecko by its tail. It may fall off. Then it will wiggle on its own for a little bit in an attempt to get you (the predator) to eat it instead of the rest of the rapidly escaping gecko. The gecko will grow another one, but it just won’t be the same.
If you decide to get a Mourning Gecko, you only have to come up with girl names. There are no male Mourning Geckos. (Is that why the ladies are mourning?) This type of gecko reproduces by parthenogenesis: the females make babies all by themselves and their daughters are clones of the mothers.
Like all reptiles, geckos may carry the bacteria Salmonella. The young, old and immunosuppressed humans are most at risk. Wash your hands.
On campus
Jordyn Perry named to Illinois College Dean’s List
Jordyn Perry, a sophomore from Greenwood, was named to Illinois College’s spring semester dean’s list. Perry is the daughter of Jeffrey and Trudy Perry of Greenwood. She is a graduate of Whiteland High School. Candidates for the dean’s list must complete at least 14 semester hours and post a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Local students participate in freshman project
The University of Evansville announced that the following local students participated in the Freshman Service Project on Aug. 20: Alletha Barnett and Mary Frances Degenhardt of Greenwood; Emily Bruhn, Dillon Mc Grath, Clorissa Orrick and Anna Raney of Indianapolis.
The community service project sent new UE students to 20 locations throughout Evansville, including parks, community centers and other nonprofit organizations. The annual Freshman Service Project is part of Welcome Week, a program designed to help incoming students transition into college life before classes begin.
Local students participate in summer program at Purdue University
Local students took the first step in becoming Boilermakers by participating in the annual STAR program at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus. The participants included Payton Hensley, Andrew Head and Alexandria Duncan of Beech Grove; Jacob James, Tyler Green, Mitchell Scott, Mattie White, Curtis Stark, Logan Campbell, Kayla Gutwein, Trevor Lasiter Ashley Wingate, William Schott, Thomas Stemnock, Olivia Lindsay, Samuel Bronicki, Lauren McCauley, Brock Koehler, Robert Dollar, Ryan Cain, Kathlyn Arthur, Sara Trammel, Andrew Shildmyer, Cameron Duke, Kiersten Satkamp, Kyle Jackson, Rushi Patel, Stephanie Mason, Trevor Stone, Brian Lain, Erin Jansen, Douglas Gardner, Dustin White, Sarah Stanley, Abigail McClintock, Kevin Gudeman, Laura Mangan and Andrew Wilson of Greenwood.
In our schools
Roncalli celebrates success of AP program
Fifty percent of the graduates in the Roncalli Class of 2012 scored a 3 or higher on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) test. State law now requires state universities to extend college credit to those students who score a 3 or higher on an AP test. This places Roncalli near the very top of all high schools in the state of Indiana. The school had 37 AP Scholars last year scoring a 3 or higher and 20 AP Scholars with Distinction with an average score of 3.98. The highest honor a student can earn through the AP program is an AP National Scholar, earned by scoring a 4 or higher on eight or more AP exams, which graduate Amy Hemmelgarn achieved. For more information, contact Roncalli at (317)787-8277.
Roncalli senior Kyle O’Gara wins first two USAC Midget races
Roncalli High School Senior Race Car Driver Kyle O’Gara won his first USAC/STARS D1 midget race at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill. Driving for Sara Fisher Hartman racing, Kyle battled back after having to start last due to a technical infraction and took the lead on lap 13, never losing it in the 30 lap feature. O’Gara captured his second win at the 30 lap feature in the USAC D1 midget race at Kalamazoo Speedway. For more information, contact Roncalli at (317) 787-8277.
Southport High School held the year’s first annual coffeehouse
The Southport High School “Coffee House” had standing room only as SHS students took the stage to showcase their talents. Mrs. Whitlock and her theatre class students organized this event. Proceeds from the event will benefit the theater department.
Teaching garden planted in Franklin Township
Students from Thompson Crossing Elementary School got their hands dirty Friday, planting an American Heart Association Teaching Garden in the school’s courtyard. The Teaching Garden, and its accompanying educational curriculum, will provide students a hands-on learning experience. It was funded as part of a $75,000 grant to the American Heart Association by The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. The garden at Thompson Crossing is one of five in the greater Indianapolis area and one of two in Franklin Township. Bunker Hill Elementary planted a Teaching Garden in May and will hold a celebration ceremony on Sept. 13.
On Campus – June 28, 2012
Area residents make Dean’s List • Bethany Irwin, a Communication major from Greenwood, and Adria Pryor, an Exercise Science major from Greenwood, were among more than 2,600 students from The University of Toledo who made the Spring 2012 Dean’s List for their academic accomplishments. The Dean’s List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who earn a 3.5 or above GPA for the semester. The University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio.
Huntington University recognizes local Dean’s List recipients • Huntington University has announced the students that were named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester of the 2011-12 school year. Nicholas Kight of Greenwood, Public Relations and Communication Studies major; Eric Shatto of Franklin was a freshman Economics. Finance and Accounting major; and Emily Smith of Franklin was a sophomore Biology major. Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana.
In Our Schools – June 28, 2012
Summer Servings serves students free food • Lisa Timm and Jamie Brown, MSDPT Food Service staff members at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, serve breakfast and lunch for the summer meal program, Summer Servings. All children eat free. Call (317) 789-3700 for more information about the program, dates, times, menu and locations.
Southport High School students visit museum • English Learner students from Southport High School visited the Indiana Medical History Museum at the old Central State Hospital. Students toured the old Pathology Building, experiencing some strange sights and smells of the 1890’s-era facility.
On Campus – June 21, 2012
Local Students Selected for Hoosier Boys State at Trine University • Local students were among the 520 boys selected to participate in the American Legion Hoosier Boys State at Trine University. Participants include Beech Grove High School student Steven Chan of Beech Grove, Roncalli High School student David Kirkhoff of Indianapolis, Roncalli High School student Kurtis Loy of Beech Grove, Franklin Central High School student Kristopher George of Indianapolis, Franklin Central High School student Gavyn Gerbofsky of Indianapolis, Southport High School student Tanner Musser of Indianapolis and Perry Meridian High School student Christopher Williams of Indianapolis. Trine operates a 450-acre main campus in Angola, Ind., along with education resource centers throughout the state.
Spring 2012 Dean’s List announced • Aaron M. Frye, Kwok K. Lee, Justin W. Meimberg, Mara C. Nelson and Angie J. Spivey, all of Greenwood, qualified for the Vincennes University Dean’s List for Sprint 2012. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must complete at least 12 credit hours and achieve a grade point index of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Vincennes University is located at 1002 N. 1st St., Vincennes, Ind.
On Campus – June 14, 2012
Holmes graduates from Rice University • Geoffrey Holmes of Franklin graduated from Rice University on May 12. Holmes received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Located in Houston, Rice University awarded 1,665 degrees this year, including 881 undergraduate and undergraduate professional degrees and 784 graduate degrees.
UIndy Athletics finishes 5th in NCAA Division II • University of Indianapolis Athletics tied its school record by finishing fifth in NCAA Division II in the 2011-12 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup final standings. This is the third time in school history that UIndy has finished among the top five teams in the country (2008-09, 1996-97), including the second time in the last four seasons. This marks the ninth time in the last 10 seasons that UIndy was ranked in the top 20. The Greyhounds had nine top-20 finishes in baseball, men’s indoor track and field, women’s golf, women’s volleyball, men’s golf, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s swimming and diving, men’s swimming and diving and men’s basketball.
Swimmers named to All-America team • Four University of Indianapolis swimmers were named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Men’s and Women’s At-Large Teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).Grad student Guy Kogel, seniors Austin Biefnes and Meghan Donahue and junior Maura Donahue were all honored on the first team with the Donahues and Biefnes each earning their second career Academic All-America honor. These four student-athletes join UIndy Athletics Hall of Famer Megan Grunert (2003, 2004) as the only First Team Academic All-America swimmers in school history.
Marvel makes president’s list • Britni Marvel of Greenwood was named to Trine University’s president’s list for the spring 2012 semester. To be named to the president’s list, a student must have at least a 3.75 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and carry at least 15 credit hours.
Marvel is a junior psychology major. Trine operates a 450-acre main campus in Angola, Ind., and educational resource centers throughout the state.
In Our Schools – June 7, 2012
School holds first graduation ceremony • Saints Francis & Clare Catholic School will conduct its first 8th Grade graduation ceremony six years after opening its elementary school. The nine graduating students joined SSFC this year when the school added grades 6, 7, and 8. After graduating, students will head to various high schools including Roncalli, Bishop Chatard, Center Grove, Whiteland, and Warren Central. Of the original 34 students who began school at SSFC in 2006, there are currently 21 who will enter 6th and 7th grade next year. Saints Francis & Clare School Ministry, with the support of the parish, opened their doors in August 2006 to 34 children. Since that time, the school has experienced a growth to more than 360 students during the 2011-12 academic year.
School updates 1:1 program after Apple discontinues laptop • Students at Saints Francis & Clare Catholic School will turn in their personal laptops permanently at the end of this school year. When school resumes in August, each student in grades 4-8 will be assigned an iPad 2 for the school’s 1:1 program. This transition to the iPad comes after Apple’s announcement that they will discontinue manufacturing the white unibody laptops the school currently uses. SSFC School has been looking into the complete iPad transition for over a year. The sale of the previously owned laptops will allow for a large scale iPad 2 purchase. A limited number of laptops have been made available to school and parish families as well as the general public at the cost of $650-$700. SSFC is retaining a number of laptops for classroom use as well as standardized testing such as ISTEP, which currently does not offer testing on iPads.
On Campus – June 7, 2012
Carmen Miller graduates from Eastern Mennonite University
Carmen Miller of Indianapolis was recognized as a member of the 2012 graduating class of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., on Saturday, April 30. Miller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and Social Science.
Local Students Named to University of Evansville Dean’s List
Many local students earned a position on the University of Evansville Dean’s List for academic achievements during the Spring Semester 2012. The students made the Dean’s List by achieving at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Austin Carpenter, Janice Green, Michael Grzegorek, Tyler Kirk, Nicole Kreuzman and Stephanie Tran, all of Greenwood; Chelsea Hook, Dakota Roberts and Raymond Watkin, all of Franklin; and Theresa Dougherty, Rachel Dougherty, Emily Kays and Hlawn Tlem, all of Indianapolis, were among these students.
Marian University celebrates commencement
Marian University celebrated its 75th Commencement on Saturday, May 5, with 622 candidates for degrees this year. Marian University’s 2012 honors graduates from Greenwood and the south side include Amy Nicole Bueno, Amber Lynn Carpenter, Emily Jane Conley, Lacey Elizabeth Hersman, Peter Nicholas Jansen, Lauren Candace Lutz and Jamie Lynn Roberts.
Students receive Dean’s List honors and degrees
Anderson University has announced its Dean’s List for the Spring 2012 semester. Katrina Elizabeth Ogden and Brittany Ann Stafford, both of Indianapolis, have been named to the Dean’s List. A Dean’s List student must earn a semester grade point average of at least 3.5 on a scale of 4.0. Stafford also received a degree at the graduation ceremony on May 5.
Brianna Kern named to Dean’s List
Brianna Kern of Indianapolis, Biology major at Youngstown State University, has been named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must carry a semester grade point average of 3.4 or better and take a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit. Youngstown State University is located in the heart of the Tech Belt between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Beech Grove native wins IBA Scholarship
Samantha Stratton, of Beech Grove, a senior at the University of Indianapolis, has won a $2,700 scholarship from the Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA). Stratton is currently studying to get a degree in Communication with an emphasis in Electronic media and Music minor. During her time at the University, she has been on air at WICR, 88.7 FM, as well as being the News Director for UIndy TV5. IBA has provided $30,000 in scholarships to current college and university students enrolled at Indiana schools and majoring in telecommunications, electronic media or broadcast journalism. The IBA Board of Directors agreed to match donations from Indiana Radio/TV stations this year, doubling the amount awarded from previous years.
On Campus – May 24, 2012
Nick Kight of Greenwood graduates from Huntington University • Nick Kight participated in the 114th Commencement exercises at Huntington University. Kight is a 2012 May graduate, from Greenwood, who earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Communication Studies. Commencement was held on May 12.
Julie Omeara Honored for Outstanding Academic Achievement at The Citadel • Julie Anne Omeara of Indianapolis was honored for outstanding academic achievement at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, during the spring semester of the 2011-2012 academic year. Omeara earned one of the college’s top academic honors, a Gold Star. Gold Stars are presented to students who achieve a 3.7 grade point average or higher during a semester’s course work. In addition, Omeara also will be placed on the Dean’s List, a recognition that is given to those cadets students whose grade point ratio is 3.2 or higher. Omeara is a Cadet seeking a bachelor’s degree in Education.
UIndy wins GLVC All-Sports Trophy • The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced that the University of Indianapolis is the 2011-12 winner of the GLVC All-Sports Trophy. The Greyhounds totaled 167.5 points in the GLVC’s 17 championship sports behind a UIndy-record seven GLVC championships. UIndy out-scored second-place Northern Kentucky by 11.5 points and third-place Bellarmine by 26.5 points. This is the fourth GLVC All-Sports Trophy for UIndy and the first since the 2002-03 season. The Greyhounds won the first conference all-sports award in 1978-79 and again in 1994-95.
IU College of Arts and Sciences inducts new members • The Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences recently announced that Mika Baugh, Stefanie Beidelman and Elizabeth Jones, all of Greenwood, have been invited to join academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Election to Phi Beta Kappa is based solely on academic achievement and is limited to students majoring in liberal arts and sciences. Only about 10 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters.