“Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.”

-Mike Mullin, Ashfall

Mike Mullin, author of teen fiction novel Ashfall and a published writer, entertained an audience of 150 OHS students and their teachers on Oct. 13. Mullin visited OHS to share information about his intensive research on his novel while also pitching the plot to interest OHS readers.

Organized by Mrs. Dyann Menzel, the author visit paralleled the curriculum in some of the classes at OHS. Ashfall, describing the story of a teen character and his struggles to survive after a supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park erupts, draws in science and language students. Chemistry students attended to learn more about the real-life threat of the supervolcano. English students came to learn about the research behind the fiction.

“It’s so great to hear from a real, successful, published authors,” Menzel said. “As writers…what better resource than to hear from other writers.”
Mullin also spiced up his presentation by bringing in models of volcanoes and showing off his knowledge of taekwondo; he began the talk by allowing students to break boards and ended  the presentation by breaking a cinder block in two. According to Mullin, his taekwondo was his outlet while writing his novel.

Although students believed the author was a bit quirky, this one-time opportunity to gain knowledge from a real, published author was received well by many.

“I thought it was really funny and good,” said Olivia Mares (12). “He was really personable and talked to the crowd well. He kept the crowd energized.”