1-Color
May 29, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 27, Issue 28 A publication of
highlandsranchherald.net
Emilia Bartelheim, Lily Gardner, Liam Kelley, Samuel Makikalli, Mackenzie Reed and Logan Schafer perform “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart at Rock Canyon High School graduation May 23 at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. See more from the Rock Canyon ceremony on page 12. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando
Senior choir members sing the national anthem during Mountain Vista High School’s graduation ceremony at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 21. See more Golden Eagle graduates on page 3. Photo by Hannah Garcia
Graduates stand and cheer after a performance from fellow seniors during the Highlands Ranch High School commencement ceremony at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 21. See more on page 11. Photo by Hannah Garcia
The ‘14ers climb new heights With the Class of 2014 taking center stage, “Pomp and Circumstance” may have been the most played tune of the past week as high school bands warmed up and performed all over the south metro area for annual commencement ceremonies. For more coverage of all local schools that celebrated last week, check out the inside pages.
Justin Glidewell gets ready to hug ThunderRidge Principal Carole Jennings after receiving his diploma on May 22 at Sports Authority Stadium. See more from the ceremony on page 10. Photo by Jane Reuter
Student’s research forwarded to FBI Teen tested chemical used to fight crime By Hannah Garcia
hgarcia@coloradocommunitymedia.com
SkyView Academy student Casey Knapke, 16, shows off her awards and storyboard from her luminol research on campus on May 22. Courtesy photo
For one SkyView Academy student, what started as a science fair project has put her on the road to a passion for criminology. Last October, Casey Knapke, 16, said she was watching “Bones,” a popular crime drama revolving around a forensic anthropologist, when she noticed that a certain chemical mixture was not kept at a controlled temperature like others. “That’s when the question popped in my head: `Would luminol work better at a colder temperature?’” Knapke said. Luminol, a substance used to detect blood at crime scenes, will give off a blue glow when the spray comes into contact with blood particles and is illuminated with a black light. This is due to a chemical reaction between a number of chemicals and hemoglobin, a protein that carries
oxygen in the blood. After a cursory search in which Knapke didn’t see previous research on the topic, she decided to do her own study of the effects of temperature on luminol. Using a spectrometer, a tool used to measure the properties of light, she discovered that the luminol “worked better” when stored at an optimum temperature of 38 degrees. “Storing it at colder temperatures increased the fluorescence or the glow, and it also increased the length of time that it glowed,” Knapke said. The project earned her fourth place at the Colorado State Science and Engineering Fair in April and a berth to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May, but she was unable to attend. Research continues on Page 11
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