AIM HIGH: PUPILS SCALE NEW HEIGHTS IN HORIZONS

A backhanded compliment awaited Hunter Cook Wednesday when he finally scaled the fourth station on the climbing wall at Southeast Missouri State University's Student Recreation Center.

A message printed in white chalk at the top of the station simply said: "You made it punk."

"Yes!" Hunter, 11, yelled, raising an arm in triumph. "Holy cow; part four. Zippo's back," he inexplicably added before being lowered to the gymnasium floor.

The display took place at an afternoon rock climbing session of the university's Horizons program. Now in its sixth year, the program runs until Friday, and offers gifted children a variety of classes. The program provides classes on theater, chemistry, anatomy, computer-aided drafting and photography.

Children from all over Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois were expected to attend the program, which has a fee of $70.

This is the first year the program has offered the rock climbing class. Tim Rademaker, chief instructor, said the class teaches children they can overcome the challenges through teamwork and their own effort. Rademaker is an assistant professor in the university's physical education department.

"It's not just the physical aspect of climbing," said Rademaker. "A lot of this, it's as much an emotional challenge as it is a physical challenge to them. They love it, I can tell you that."

There are five stations at the climbing wall, located in the right rear of the recreation center. Each station increases in difficulty. Climbers fitted with harnesses scaled the wall Wednesday by grabbing and stepping on varying forms of molded metal screwed into the wall.

While a person climbs, one or two others hold the rope, which runs through a pulley at the top of the ceiling.

Participants also repelled Wednesday. Rademaker said he planned to take the children to the University Center Wednesday to also repel below an outside terrace there.

Ten children attended the afternoon rock climbing class. The teamwork came out in full force, and near full volume, as Ryan Logan, 11, of Charleston, worked to climb over a wooden triangular platform that jutted out of the wall at the third station.

Screams of encouragement rose from his nine classmates below. "Major pull-up," Hunter shouted to Ryan. "How many pull-ups can you do?"

As Ryan prevailed, the screams turned to cheers.

Rademaker said the children would take a trip today to Giant City State Park at Makanda, Ill. The park, he said, has a good rock face and challenges both beginning and advanced climbers.

"We're going to put them on some of the beginners' climbs; give them some genuine experience," he said.

Hunter, of Cape Girardeau, said he has climbed the wall four or five times at birthday parties and while participating in Boy Scout activities. But Wednesday marked the first time he had completely scaled the fourth station.

"I had my birthday party this year here. I almost made it to the top the last time we were here, but we had to leave," said Hunter.

Of the 10 participants Wednesday, only one was a girl. Martha Stoecker, 10, of Cape Girardeau, said the guys teased her sometimes. But she said the teasing was "kind of fun."

Martha said the only climbing she had done before was in Sante Fe, N.M., where she visits her grandparents every year. She climbed a big concrete wall with indentations, she said.

The hardest part of climbing the wall at the recreation center, she said, is probably finding the right hand and foot holds.

"That's usually why I don't make it to the top, because their sometimes too small."