Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 04/00) - It's a high school course that's so cool lots of parents probably wish they could sign up.

Last Sunday, about 40 Sir John Franklin started the latest edition of the school's three-credit marine biology course taught by Wade Carpenter and Joan Glover.

Instructors say yes, it's a neat course and there's a big payoff at the end -- a 10-day field trip to study marine life up close -- but there's a lot of work before the group touches down in the tropics.

The course is being offered every Sunday evening until Christmas break. In January and February, the students are in the Ruth Inch pool Sunday evenings getting PADI certified by dive instructor Colin Baile. Students also take first aid and St. John ambulance courses. They also get to dissect shark and starfish.

Organizers have yet to pick a destination, but previously the field trips have been to Cozumel in Mexico, Curacao in the Mediterranean, and Fiji in the South Pacific.

"I want to be a marine biologist," says Stacey Wagner, one of the students taking the course. Wagner, in Grade 12, adds she's wanted to take this course since she first heard about it when she was in Grade 8. Sir John offers marine biology every other year.

"It will be really wicked. Especially since we're the only the school in Western Canada that offers this," she said.

"I don't know how to scuba so I thought it would be neat to get certified.

"I got a job just to pay for this," Jeremy Prower said.

"I'm really into swimming and I'm into living something interesting," Jon Zaozirny said.

Janet Wong, another student taking the course said: "It will be neat to be exposed to an underwater environment I've never seen."

The course was started in 1991 by teachers John Stewart and Bob Jones. Baile was also involved from the start.

Carpenter said people who have taken this course have gone on to careers in marine biology.

He adds there is only room for a certain number on the final field trip and it's much less than the current 42 students taking the course. But, in prior years, everybody who qualifies, has gone. That means for whatever reason, not all who start the course make it to the field trip which goes around Easter.

"It's not like you sign up and go on a trip," he said. "It's difficult. It's an endurance test (but) the reward is great. It's such an achievement," said Kelly Mills, in charge of the course's fund-raising efforts.

The full course costs $3,275 for each participant. To help lower the cost, the group has held fund-raisers like a flea market at Sir John last Saturday. Other fund-raisers are planned.