Though
the students are relaxed and having a very good time at the reception,
by the time we have walked over to the Santa Barbara County office
building and made our way into the Board of Supervisor's chambers,
the students are getting nervous. These may be the most important
presentations in which any of the students have been involved:
the panel of experts will choose one of them as a study project
for future SSE expeditions into the Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary. There is very real meaning for each of them,
and now that the time has come to stand up in front of the scientists,
there is nervous laughter, team huddles, and last minute preparations.
Julie Goodson, the Educational Co-ordinator
for the Channel Islands 
sanctuary
briefs each of the teams on the procedures, how the microphones
work--all the little details necessary to making this go smoothly.
At this point the students are handed an additional bit of pressure:
the presentations will be be broadcast live on COX public access
television. Parents, students at their respective schools and
the local community will also be watching.
After
a quick discussion the team orders are chosen. The Oxnard team
will lead off, followed by the Paso Robles, Santa Barbara/Ventura
and Cabrillo High School groups. All of the teams move in tightly
around Julie as she demonstrates how the technical equipment
is set up. Each team will choose one or two of their members
to make a PowerPoint presentation, with the other members sitting
in an area set aside for commentators. Each of them will have
a microphone in front of them and can add information or answer
questions during the presentation, if necessary.
Then finally, it is show time. The panel
members tak
e their
seats, the Sanctuary director, Ed Cassano, welcomes everyone,
and we all watch a brief video which provides a history of our
relationship with the ocean, and the role we must play both in
developing a better understanding of it as well stewardship for
it.