Title: "Robert Ballard Visits Students at Dilworth Middle School: Inspiring Dreams"
Source: KOLO
Aired: 04/21/10 5:00 pm
Keywords: Nevada Medal, Dr. Robert Ballard, Dilworth Middle School
Description: Where you ever inspired to follow your dreams when you were thirteen or fourteen years old? Dilworth Middle School students received that message today from a scientist with a titanic reputation. A blue wall at Dilworth Middle School represents the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Ireland. It's a project the seventh grade was doing in preparation for the visit of the world famous explorer Robert Ballard, Ph.D. Fresh from receiving DRI’s 2010 Nevada Medal, geologist Robert Ballard arrived at Dilworth Middle School to talk about the possibilities of the next generation. “I'm optimistic, but I have to come out and recruit. I have to be an evangelist, to be a pied piper,” Ballard said.

Ballard showed the students pictures of some of his greatest finds, giant sandworms 20-thousand feet below the ocean and bacteria that survives with no air. He also showed the TITANIC where robotics helped him bring the stories of the deep sea disaster to the surface. He told the students it is up to them to continue the journey. “What I want people to do is to not think they can escape Earth, make a mess and leave, and to be like Superman and escape Krypton,” Ballard added.

Madelyn Brown, seventh grader, accepted an award at the assembly for writing an essay on why students should bike to school. She says she enjoyed Ballard’s talk, and truly believes her generation can accomplish great things. “I think we are very smart and we will discover that,” Brown said. Dilworth won't be the only students to listen to Ballard, the school district recorded the assembly and it will be accessible to Washoe County School Teachers who tap into the web.