News : Center Point-Urbana students seek to set world jumping jacks record

The Center Point-Urbana students at the elementary, high school and middle school will be trying to set a new world record this afternoon.

At the middle school in Urbana, and the high school and elementary in Center Point, students will begin doing jumping jacks shortly after 3 p.m. today. Organizers of this event hope to have more than 1,000 people doing jumping jacks simultaneously.

Mrs. Andersen explains the Bio Club's projects and motivations for the jumping jacks event.

"The idea first started last fall as my Biology Club students planned their Health Fair and wanted to have students exercise together," she said. "We starting thinking of involving more than just high school students and then the Guinness idea popped up. Two of the members investigated it and we applied. Once we heard of our approval from Guinness, we had no idea what we were in for! There are lots of rules to follow with many layers of documentation needed. The students did an amazing job of taking the lead."

The students have done it all, said Mrs. Andersen. They have done it all.

"I watched students call radio stations, TV stations, City Hall, and more without any hesitation," she said. "They developed press releases and sent them to all major media. They served on countless planning committees meeting both during and after school. They came up with ideas and followed through on making them work. They bought supplies, make spreadsheets, and gave up lunch many times. I cannot brag enough about what leadership I see in these club members."

This kind of response from her students is typical, said Mrs. Andersen.

"I cannot count how many times they came to me and said, 'Is there anything else I can do?' Absolutely amazing work was done," she said. "One of my goals with the Biology Club is to encourage students to develop leadership skills that will take them forward in their lives. In this project, they certainly did that. "