Student uses senior project to help others have a ball

Greenbrier High School senior Clint Shearouse has brought his favorite sport to school.

His senior English project is on the benefits of recreation, and his product is a volleyball court which he recently installed on one side of the school.

"We play every night at Riverside, so I wanted to bring one here," he said.

Clint used surveying equipment to map out the 30 by 60 foot area. He used timbers around the court and filled it in with sand. Then installed the polls and the net.

"We're going to use for our team sports class so it's going to be part of our p.e. curriculum. And the kids will be able to use it at lunch time because it's right outside the door," said Greenbrier varsity volleyball coach Debbie Born, Clint's adviser on the project. "It helps us out because it gives us another volleyball court, and when I have my camps this summer I'll be able to use it as an outdoor site."

Lowe's gave him a small discount on materials which his parents supplied for the project.

"I hope they will take care of it after I'm gone," said Clint, who plans to attend Montana State University after graduation and major in business or politics.

This is the pilot year the Columbia County Board of Education is requiring senior English students - from special education students to advanced placement students - to do a senior research project.

Though high schools have in the past required their senior English students to do research papers, this is the first time such an in-depth project has been required.

Students are allowed to select a research topic which is then approved by a senior project coordinator. Students then work with mentors and a faculty adviser to get practical experience on their topic or to get help in making a product.

"The reason he wanted to do this is because there's a huge interest in playing volleyball now," Ms. Born said. "It's such a good lifetime sport, anybody can play it, especially beach volleyball. He's trying to get the school and community involved as much as he can. He did a good job of planning it out, organizing. he did all the work, I just helped him with the plans - the draft - but he did all the work."