Meet the Delegates: Quyeisha D. 11th grade, Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Technical Charter High School ON ASSIGNMENT: Being a Delegate: Unveiling My Best Qualities My name is Quyeisha. I was one of the 10 Chicago Public School students picked to be part of the unveiling of Nigersaurus. While on this trip, we learned lots of information about this unique dinosaur and other special things as well. But while I was on this trip, I always found myself asking, "Why me? Why was I selected? What made me an important aspect of this program, and what can I do to better this program?” That’s where this trip helped me to answer these questions.

Photo M. E. Perez

Finding these qualities about myself helped me further explain why I was the best candidate for this trip. I gave life, excitement, and my best qualities to show who I truly was. That’s how I know I was one out of 10 selected.

I also asked myself "What makes me an important aspect to this program?” I thought, “What can I give to the people that they don’t already know?” I can give them things that I've learned on this trip and things that I already knew about the trip. I can tell them a lot of different facts about Nigersaurus and explain it to the people in a way they can understand. Even if it is a child or an adult, I can break it down to a point where they can go explain it to others like they have been on the trip. So you could say I am a very good teacher and informer.

Now, when I asked this question, it really puzzled me. I wondered, "What can I do to better this program?” and I thought, “All I can do is give it my all.” Show 100% in all my work and be the best person I know I can be. Share the knowledge that I have gained from the Nigersaurus Delegation and Project Exploration. Tell the people how Nigersaurus had paper-thin bones that light could shine through or how it was the first sauropod known to have a long neck with its muzzle facing the ground. Show them how they can get their kids involved in this program or even get them interested in learning new things. By being part of Project Exploration and having my fellow delegates and coordinators help me, we will do our best to spread our knowledge to the world. To this day this experience taught me a lot and I can’t wait to teach it to others. What good is it to have so much knowledge and you don’t share it with others? That’s why I am a part of Project Exploration. That’s why I was selected to be part of the Nigersaurus Delegation and this wonderful unveiling.

Quyeisha explores the concepts of air pressure and air flow at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Photo K. Atman

REFLECTIONS OF A DELEGATE

11/12/07
What are your goals for yourself during this unveiling?
Well, to start off, I am very excited and proud of myself for being one of the 10 students that are a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can’t wait until we get to Washington, D.C. and learn more about this great dinosaur. From what I’ve learned today from so many people who were working on this unique project, this is a very important event for lots of people. I just want to be able to play a big role in helping further this discovery. I want my words and my knowledge of what I’ve learned and already know to pass down to others so they will be able to use my knowledge and become more involved in it like I was. So, I just really want my horizons to be widened. And going on this trip will help me widen those horizons, because I have lots of people helping and backing me up and pushing me to challenge myself. I’m really just ready to go on this trip.

11/14/07
I told my friend that I was going to the unveiling of a new dinosaur species and she asked, “Why should I care?” What should I tell her?
Well, I have a friend that is kind of like this situation. I told him a couple of days before the trip that I was one of 10 Chicago South Side students picked to go to Washington, D.C. to be part of the unveiling of a new dinosaur called Nigersaurus. He really wasn’t interested at first, until he saw how serious and important it was to me. So, I began to explain why it was important to me and the world. I told him that this was a new species of dinosaur, not like others, yet very unique in its own way. Even though all dinosaurs are different, it’s always good to learn about new creatures and what they lived like before our time. I explained that this dinosaur was found in Niger in 1997 by an extraordinary man named Paul Sereno. Paul and his team discovered it while on a journey of discovery. I shared with my friend that because of Paul finding this dinosaur, we now have more evidence and knowledge about a new species. Now that I am learning more about this dinosaur and being part of something so big, I can teach others what I’ve learned and experienced. Also, people won’t care about anything if you don’t care about it or show enthusiasm about it, like if I’m part of this unveiling yet I’m not answering or asking any questions, or I’m not being interactive with the crowd or being cooperative.

11/15/07
I used to think… But now I know…
I used to think that this trip would just be based on the specific dinosaur and how it was discovered. Even though the trip was based on that, I learned so much more. Now I know about the exact length of Nigersaurus. I know it’s a wonderful discovery that will make history. I finally understand why this dinosaur was so beautifully reconstructed. It was a dinosaur that made past and future scientists double back on their thoughts. This dinosaur defied the laws of physics. This dinosaur had a head not common with long-necked sauropods. It grazed like a cow because of how its teeth were. These specific things will stick in my mind for years to come, and I’m still ready for more.

Quyeisha (far right) touches a piece of fossilized wood at a special
sneak-preview tour of the Nigersaurus exhibit at National Geographic.
Photo K. Atman

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