Not Rattled By Snakes

Ask Matthew Wilson why he hunts for rattlesnakes and this fourth-grade social studies teacher at Port Allegany Elementary School in Pennsylvania, will give you his patented answer.

Photos by Joe Luzzo

"After 28 years of teaching fourth graders, I may have some brain damage," he quips.

The truth is, Wilson, an amateur herpetologist, is fascinated by the timber rattlesnakes that hide in blueberry fields and under large rocks in North Central Pennsylvania. During the past nine years, Wilson and his wife, Paula, have caught more than 250 snakes. That includes 50 rattlers this season.

Since timber rattlesnakes are a protected species in Pennsylvania, the Wilsons don't actually "catch" the snakes. Instead, they use tongs to lift them off the ground. They note their locations, measure them, determine their sex, and then mark them on the underside before releasing them back into the wild. Their data are logged and sent to the state Fish and Boat Commission. "Our reports show what areas need to be protected," says Wilson, who wears long-sleeved shirts, knee-high Kevlar leggings, and snake-proof gloves and boots.

Despite the protective gear, a snake's fangs penetrated a seam in Wilson's glove in 2003, sending him into anaphylactic shock. A helicopter flew Wilson, who was allergic to the venom, to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where doctors considered amputating his hand. Instead, Wilson got massive doses of anti-venom serum and was released 12 days later.

Wilson's fourth graders are impressed. "Some of them ask to go with me but I tell them they have to wait until they're older," Wilson says, adding that one day he'll retire and become a full-time herpetologist.

—Carolyn White

Remembering the Titanic

Charles Haas' lifelong fascination with a sinking ship has proved to be a treasure trove for this New Jersey high school teacher. Haas, who teaches English and journalism, has co-written five books on the subject. And he claims to be the first American teacher to dive to the ocean floor for a firsthand look at the historic wreck.

Photos by RMS Titanic, Inc.

Haas' first book, Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy, written with John P. Eaton, was published in 1986 and made the London Times bestseller list. Their second book, Titanic: Destination Disaster, was published in 1988. Three more books followed in the 1990s.

Haas' Titanic obsession began in childhood. "My grandfather worked for a stevedore company in New York City," says Haas. "I'd sit in his office and watch the big boats sailing on the river." When Haas was 12, his grandfather gave him a book on the Titanic. "I was hooked," Haas admits. "I wrote research papers on it in high school. In college, I spent my free time in the microfilm room reading old Titanic articles."

In 1993, Haas accepted an invitation from RMS Titanic, Inc., to view the wreck from a three-person submersible capable of diving 2.5 miles to the ocean floor. A robotic camera sent inside the wreckage let him see firsthand the sites he'd read and written about. In 1996, Haas made a second dive, this time as narrator for a Discovery Channel special.

Haas' students bring up the Titanic in the middle of class, trying to divert his attention. "But I'm wise to them," Haas adds. When he retires, Haas hopes to talk Titanic with students around the country. "It teaches us about math (calculating distances), history, sociology, and human behavior in times of stress," says Haas. "But most important, it teaches us not to place total faith in technology."

—Donna Chiu

The Book Fairy

Phyllis Hall's commitment to connecting children and books has earned this Salt Lake City librarian a lot of frequent flyer miles.

Photos by Bill Hall

For the past five years, Hall, a library/media specialist at West Jordan High in Utah, has paid her own way to Peru to distribute more than 8,000 books to children in some of the most remote, impoverished areas of this South American country. A volunteer for Salt Lake City's Eagle Condor Humanitarian Project, Hall explains, "When other volunteers told me the children of Peru valued books more than toys, I knew what I had to do."

Hall's collections include picture books, fiction, and biographies, as well as books on science, health, and history. Her libraries have revitalized a number of Peruvian schools. In Pata Cancha, a small village 14,000 feet above sea level, some students travel five hours a day—two hours downhill and three hours for their uphill return—just to attend a school with one of Hall's libraries.

During another trip, Hall left 250 books in a principal's office. "When I returned two years later, I discovered they had built a special room for the books. Each class was allowed a half hour a day to read and study there," says Hall. Earlier this year, Hall visited Chiclayo, a city of one million, and discovered the 8,000-book public library had only eight books for children. So far, Hall has raised several thousand dollars to buy more books for Chiclayo's children.

Hall's work has also inspired West Jordan High's students. One young man, a member of a West Jordan student-led humanitarian group, asked Hall to be his mentor. "He's taking the books he collected to a school in Africa," Halls says with pride.

—Carolyn White

Giving His Name Back

Former NEA President Braulio Alonso has received many honors throughout his career as an educator, but he confesses to mixed feelings about one.

Photos by Cherie Diez

The city of Tampa Bay, Florida, named one of their new high schools after Alonso, a member of Florida Education Association-Retired. Even with all of his accomplishments, Alonso feels the honor may have come a tad too soon. "I'm certainly grateful for the honor,'' he says. "But I've always thought honors like those should be given to people after they have passed away!'' To Alonso, accolades should never be the reason a person is trying to make a difference. "We have a responsibility to help out others, so that's why I still stay involved.''

A staunch advocate for integration in schools and more opportunities for minority students, Alonso had his battles through the years with local school officials. But he has been able to see the fruits of his labor emerge at Alonso High.

"The school is very well-integrated,'' he says. "And what's really good is that more and more minority students are getting involved and receiving recognition for their achievements than before."

Still, Alonso shies away from the limelight. "The principal always invites me to the school, but I don't want to interfere,'' says Alonso, who tossed the coin at the school's first football game. "I'm very happy with what I see going on there. They're doing a great job.''

—Jozen Cummings

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