On Tuesday March 15, science teacher Jennifer Hoemann’s Advanced Biology classes dissected a rat. Their main focus for dissecting the critter was to get a view of the digestive system, as food both entered and exited.

“Students are looking for different digestive structures, circulatory structures and some skeletal and muscular structures,” Hoemann said.

Only about one or two students were dissecting at each lab table. Others stood around the table specifying the parts of the system, or taking pictures.

There were many different reactions to the lab — some students liked it, others did not. Junior Taylor Heiser was one of the ones who liked the lab.

“I enjoyed the lab a lot because we were able to spend our time on it and really take our time looking through the rat and discovering where everything was. It was fun finding all the babies,” Heiser said.

Heiser’s lab group had a rat that was pregnant with 16 babies. According to Hoemann, that was the record of amount of babies this year.

Although the lab was fun for Heiser, other students were not so happy with doing it. Junior Kaity Eutsler was one of those students.

“I did not like the lab, who would say they like dissecting a rat? And I hate the smell of the rats,” Eutsler said.