By ROB LUFF
Public Opinion
Md. high school students tackle homeland security issues

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — When Chambersburg Area Senior High School students left Raymond Setaro's human biotechnology class Thursday, they had mock "anthrax" powder on their clothes.

The powder was a Glo Germ brand chemical used in health care facilities to test cleaning procedures, but Setaro used it to start a lesson in bioterrorism.

To simulate the 2001 anthrax mailings scare after Sept. 11, he gave each student a note in an envelope containing the powder, then used a black light to expose the powder as hazardous.

He explained how hazardous materials experts identify and dispose of dangerous chemicals, and how biological warfare has been used in the past.

Unusual lessons in technology are a staple of the technology education department this school year. The human biotechnology class, new this year, is "tailor-made" for each student seeking a career in the health care, military or forensic science fields, Setaro said.

"Each student has identified an interest and a career path," Setaro said. He is constructing the course curriculum based on each student's interests.

"The purpose of technology education is to emphasize the difference between science and technology," he said. While science is mainly research and concept-based, technology takes existing knowledge, tools and materials and applies it to improving human life.

After spending a year in orthopedics due to a field hockey injury, Danni Clutter, 17, a senior at CASHS, now wants to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Setaro has arranged for a orthopedic to visit the class as a guest speaker, and the class will spend time focusing on Clutter's chosen field.

Later in the year, a police detective will visit the class to talk about crime scene investigation and the use of forensic science.

Setaro, a former medical systems technologist, hopes to teach his students about X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging systems.

"I'm just excited to get into it," Clutter said.

Copyright 2008 Public Opinion