The gym’s tables were within two feet each other all over the North Gym and presenters talked all at once. Students and parents walked around, listening to the junior class recite speeches about projects the juniors had nurtured for months.

The presentation boards titles ranged from “Adopt a Puppy” to “Fight Muscle Disease, Donate Today!” There were disgruntled, bored presenters standing next to peppy, energetic speakers.

“I saw this mass of people running to the gym, and I thought ‘oh dear,’” junior Eleanor Carle said.

Junior Alex Seigel didn’t realize so many people would show up to the fair.

“It seemed like the whole school was in there at one time,” Seigel said. “I didn’t expect it to be a big thing, since it was a school project.”

Each presenter of the junior class participated in the 2015 Challenge Based Learning Fair, commonly referred to as ‘CBL.’ This year the fair was held in Bellevue West’s North Gym, a change from years past when it was at the Welcome Center.

Principal Kevin Rohlfs said that after each fair he and the English teachers sit down and talk about what went well and what they can change for next year.

“After last year, we actually moved the date up so the gym was available,” Rohlfs said.

The positive effect of moving the gym, Rohlfs said was that more students attended the fair.

“The freshmen and sophomore students got a chance to see what’s coming up for them their junior year,” Rohlfs said.

English teacher Megan Brewer praised the change from the Welcome Center to the gym.

“We had a huge turnout from parents,” Brewer said. “I think the timing and location was perfect.”

According to Brewer, the fair was advertised “around the end of August so that parents had enough to time reschedule.”

For two hours, the gym never emptied. Parents took pictures of their children, and teachers smiled at their students.

Seigel’s project pertained to adopting dogs from the Midlands Humane Society. He said that he learned how much work is put into helping animals.

“The Midlands Humane Society was so new,” Seigal said. “What we did for them made a huge impact.”

Rae Rangel
Managing Editor