Date: Fri 19-Mar-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Schience-Horizons-education

Full Text:

Science Horizon Winners

(with cut)

The faculty and staff of St Rose School are extremely proud of two seventh

grade students in Kirsten Tamborini's science class. Erin Hayes and Natalia

Fugate both earned first place in the annual Science Horizons competition. To

add to the excitement of winning, this was the first year St Rose had

participated!

The Science Horizons' Science Fair and Symposium was held at Bethel Middle

School earlier this month. A total of 410 student projects was presented, an

increase over last year's total of about 330.

All exhibits presented at the science fair were judged on the evidence of

scientific thought, creative ability, thoroughness, skill, clarity, and

dramatic value.

Science Horizons is a regional competition for area students in grades 7

through 12. The competition is divided into two groups: the junior division

for grades 7 and 8; and the senior division, for grades 9 through 12. Each

division has two categories, physical and biological.

Erin Hayes was first place winner in the junior biological division. Her

project was entitled "Do your bananas need pajamas?"

Erin was very excited to have entered this competition. Her devotion was

apparent as she told about waking up at 2 am on school nights to check

ripening rates of the bananas. It was her task to find out if ripening rates

were affected by temperature. "I had a total of 151 photos of the banana and

the judges asked me questions about each and every one of them!" Erin recalls,

"You had to be well prepared to answer questions and justify examples."

Natalia Fugate entered the junior physical division. Her project, "Aerodynamic

lift of a sphere" took first place. Natalia made a wind tunnel of plywood and

plexiglass to prove Burnelli's Principle. Natalia explains, "If air passes the

top and bottom of a cylinder at the same rate, there is no lift; but a

spinning cylinder can rise on its own and move really fast."

"I was hoping to get third place. When the third place winner and then the

second place winner were called, I just thought `oh well'. Then judges

announced the first place winner -- I was shocked!"

Natalia received an Air Force recognition medal as well.

Both girls were awarded $150. All finalists received medallions and were

invited to compete in the state competition held at Quinnipiac College.

Scientific Horizons is in its fifteenth year of operation as a non-profit

organization in Danbury. It provides students with an opportunity to compete

in a Science Fair without traveling far. Main sponsors of the event are Union

Carbide and Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, with the efforts of volunteers

from Danbury area schools and businesses making the event possible.

Dave Darling and Jim Petros are co-chairpersons of the committee that was

responsible for Science Horizons organization this year.