A Sight to See at Exploration Place
  Biology Students attend "Our Body: The Universe Within" Exhibit

by Jack Boyer

On the first of October, members of the Advanced Biology class took a bus to Exploration Place, located in Wichita on McLean Boulevard alongside the Arkansas River.  The Purpose of this trip was to learn more about the human body through an opportunity most people don't get.

The biological exhibit being showcased at Exploration Place, "Our Body: The Universes Within", says that their mission "is for exhibit-goers to leave with a deeper understanding of the body's form and function and a stronger appreciation of the uniqueness of each of our individual bodies."  The uniqueness of this exhibit is that it displays real human bodies and organs.

The Advanced Biology class, headed by Mr. Gary Chisam, departed Kingman High around 8:30 a.m. and arrived in the Exploration Place lobby nearly an hour later.  There, they met with a guide that took them to the exhibit.

Inside the exhibit, there are several displays containing well preserved body parts and cadavers, which, "Our Body: The Universe Within" prefers to call specimens.  Some of these specimens are completely intact while others have had layers taken off, depending on what is being explicated.

Exhibits like these have taken some heat and raised questions in the past regarding where the specimens came from.  However, upon visiting "Our Body: The Universe Within", this reporter was told that Exploration Place chose the exhibit because the specimens used had once volunteered their bodies for educational purposes.

Although it would seem probable for some people to find the exhibit disturbing or even inhumane, Exploration Place has received virtually all positive feedback.  Other locations displaying "Our Body: The Universe Within" have said the same thing as the exhibit increased attendance at one location by 20,000 people in a month.

The Advanced Biology class enjoyed their trip also.  Words such as "awesome" and "amazing" were how many of the class members described the exhibit.  "I enjoyed the exhibit," said Kala Asher, senior, "but I wouldn't want my body ending up there."