Mt. Pleasant High School students take to the water

By MEGAN COOPER

Mt. Pleasant News

Scuba diving in Iowa?

Yes, it?s true; the Mt. Pleasant Community School District has instituted a scuba diving course at the high school.

?The course gets students more involved in school and it starts building confidence in them that they can be successful,? said Mt. Pleasant Superintendent of Schools Mike Wells. ?We are taking the students who really don?t like school, and we are helping to change their future and get them back in school.?

Students (and area residents for a fee) can attend the class, which takes place at the Ft. Madison YMCA.

Upon successful completion of the class, students and whoever attends, will gain three credit hours from Iowa Wesleyan College and a lifetime scuba diving certification.

?They do receive the credits and the certification, but they also receive confidence that they completed something,? Wells said. ?The students become engaged and see that success is possible. They are all enrolled in IWC and they are college students; it?s a college level course.?

The course offers hands-on scuba diving, training, information on dive tables and the physics of diving.

?It isn?t an easy course. But we?ve seen students who haven?t had success in the classroom have success with this class. They gain a deeper understanding by doing it. They are building confidence,? Wells explained.

MPCSD pays the tuition for the class and also for transportation and rental of the equipment.

?We?ve taken away all the barriers of this class and opened it to those students who need it. It gives them a chance to experience something they may never get to experience,? Wells said.

But there are some members of the community who aren?t sure this class was the right move.

?We understand it was a lot of money. It cost $25,000 but we budgeted for it. There is money out there; you just have to find it. There are grants for everything. People are also worried about the risk, but there is a risk in everything you do. Sports have risk. In the end, we can have about 45 people who are certified, giving them great skills to take with them in life. The conversation shouldn?t be about that. It?s about the students, what can we do to keep them in school?? Wells added.

According to the superintendent, the course even offers free insurance.

?The Divers Alert Network provides $50,000 in coverage to the students until they complete the class. This class gives them a chance to be something more than what they thought,? Wells said.

The course, according to students taking it, is a unique experience.

?It?s a nice course and it helps me to face new challenges. I like to figure them out and when I?m done, I want to travel and to use my certification,? said high school student, Riley Zielinski.

Excitement was noticeable in the YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11 when students took to the water to put their training to use. Students new exactly what to do, and prepared for their dive.

About 15 students were in the class, and the students helped to bring in the equipment, which consisted of air tanks, masks, goggles, vests, weight belts and snorkels.

?I really like being able to stay under water for a long period of time, it?s different,? said student MacKenzie Lasswell. ?I hope to use this when I travel and I want to dive to see underwater life.?

Students had exercises to complete before putting on the equipment and diving. One exercise, students had to hold their breath from one point in the pool to the next, in order to strengthen their lungs.

Another exercise, students had to dive for their masks once they dropped them in the deep end of the pool.

All exercises are in place to train students for what may happen in a diving situation.

?The final dive will take place in Mermet Springs. Ill. This will be their checkout dive. We will transport them there and stay in a motel,? said Wells. ?The place is pretty neat. It has a quarry where students can dive and we will have plenty of help with us to ensure safety.?

Mermet Springs offers all kinds of underwater excitement, as it has a sunken airplane from the movie U.S. Marshalls, a helicopter, a bus and much more.

?Those elements bring about excitement for the students. We want them to get involved and back in school. We want them asking, ?What?s next??? added Wells. ?You should their eyes when they come out of the water, they are huge, and it?s just so exciting to see them engaged again.?

According to Wells, the school is also in talks about adding a scuba diving club to the school.

?The club would offer an opportunity for students to do more and to get out more,? said Wells.

More is in store for the district as plans fall into place, but it all student-focused.

?We want what is best for the kids, that?s the point. We couldn?t have done any of this without the support of the school board. I am really proud of them. They are among the few school boards in Iowa to allow students on the board to be a part of the decision-making, and I?m truly thankful for them,? said Wells.

The class provides fun, safety and an opportunity to grow which is important.

?The changes to the district are happening faster than we thought, but it?s exciting. Anything that helps the students be more successful is worth the change and I?m really proud of the students as well,? said Wells.

Another class will be taking place in February, once the first one finishes up. The public is invited to join as well. Then in May, the checkout dive will be for those who have successfully completed the course.

?This course is truly about the student and keeping them engaged and in school. It?s a fun course, a lot of fun and it?s exciting to see these kids take to something. It really is about the student and giving them opportunities for something more,? concluded Wells.