by Olivia McConnell

 

I love science and I love fossils. My name is Olivia McConnell and I am eight years old and live in South Carolina.

Fossils tell us a lot about our past and how things lived.  I want to be an Egyptologist when I grow up.  I would like to move to Egypt and work with other archeologists digging up ancient tombs and artifacts.

I am in third grade and back in October 2013 my family and I were eating at a restaurant called “The Chat-N-Chew.”  there is a menu at the Chat-N-Chew with all of the South Carolina state symbols…and I leaned every single one.  I think I can name every state symbol and emblem. I think they are very neat.

When I looked at the South Carolina state symbols I realized I didn’t see a state fossil, and I didn’t understand why. I do love fossils so I started doing some research. I discovered in my fossil books that the first vertebrae fossil in North America was found in my state in 1725. That was a huge fossil find!

I decided then that something had to be done so my state could get the credit that it deserved for this fossil , because this was part of history.  So, I asked my parents if I could get involved and who would listen.  I decided that I would write a letter and I came up with three good reasons why my state needed a state fossil: 1) The first vertebra fossil (was the Columbian Mammoth) in North America and was discovered in South Carolina in 1725  2) South Carolina doesn’t have a state fossil and only 7 states don’t 3) Fossils tell us a lot about our past.

After my research, I started sending letters to my South Carolina legislators. Senator Johnson and Representative Ridgeway were so nice that they came up with this as House Bill 4482, but now it has been stopped by a committee because of a couple objections.

One objection added a verse from the Bible to the bill (I believe in God, but don’t know what that has to do with this) and one objection asked that there be no more state emblems, and I don’t want that either because I think emblems are very neat!

I really don’t understand why it is not passing now, because this was just a simple idea about our state history.  I just want my state to get credit for this fossil find that was the first in North America.  I don’t want this history to be lost.

I know that I am just 8, but I care about making a difference in the world.  I want everyone to know that big or small that change can happen if you just believe and never give up on your passions.  One way that everyone can help and get involved is to go to my website and sign the petition to help support the bill  http://www.change.org/SCFossil  Dream Big!

 

Editor Note: Olivia McConnell was recently on a segment of CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley discussing the fossil debate in the legislature of her state of South Carolina.  Olivia also loves to play the ukulele and since she was five years old has raised over $20,000 for The March of Dimes for kids in South Carolina.  To the smart and brave and determined Olivia we wish her all the best luck in obtaining all of her dreams!

 

Since Olivia McConnell wrote this article for kidsnewsinc.com a bill was passed into the South Carolina legislature, governor signed, which declares the wooley mammoth as the state fossil of South Carolina.  No mention of Genesis or any passages from the bible were included in the bill.  It happened just the way Olivia wanted it to!  Kudos Olivia!