More than 175 students in grades 5-12 participated in the Southeast Ohio Regional Science Day hosted at Ohio University Saturday.
Students competed in 14 different categories ranging from microbiology to consumer products. More than 100 faculty and graduate student volunteers from the corresponding OU department judged the student projects.
It really encourages young people to study science
said Dr. James Tong, a professor in Ohio University's chemistry department, who coordinated the event. Tong has coordinated the fair since 1977 with the help of a committee on campus.
The Southeast Ohio Regional Science Day was actually two science fairs running together, Tong said. All students compete in the district science fair but only high school students compete in the Southeast Ohio Regional Science and Engineering Fair. The first and second place winners in this fair received a weeklong trip to the international science fair.
Students in the competition received one of four ratings: satisfactory, good, excellent or superior. All students received a certificate for their ranking. Students, who received a superior ranking, were judged for larger prizes and also have an opportunity to compete at the Ohio State Science Fair. Assistant director of the fair, Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch, said 42 students were selected to compete at the state fair.
Andrew Cottrill, a seventh grade student from Adena Middle School in Frankfurt, won a superior in last year's fair and also plans to come back next year. He came to the fair after winning at a local science fair. Cottrill's project tested the difference between cork bats and legal bats. He said he chose the project because he liked baseball.
Cork bats are an advantage to the batter. You hit the ball farther Cottrill said. Cottrill said his mother helped him with the project.
I've brought my students here for several years said Don Graves, a fifth grade science teacher at Zane Trace Middle School in Chillicothe. Graves said his students start preparing for the fair and choose their project by November. Eighteen students from Adena Middle School participated in the fair.
This is a great experience for them. They get to meet so many people from other schools
Graves said.
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Sara Sullivan, a junior at Unioto High School, recieves an award from Cpt. James Ninnis in Morton Hall Saturday. Sullivan was awarded an overall superior rating.
Students vie for rankings, recognition
