57th annual science fair draws record number of entries

With 438 students from 33 schools submitting 321 projects, organizers of the 57th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair said the Tuesday event at the Show Me Center was the biggest in the fair's history.

"We always have good experiments," director Chris McGowan said. "There are students doing things that haven't been done before."

Dr. McGowan said many entries show the students have a good understanding of the scientific method, which illustrates the dedication of area science teachers.

"I'm amazed at all the work and talent that goes into all this," said Jeannie Van De Ven of Cape Girardeau. "This shows there are some bright students who want to solve some real problems. This is a wonderful opportunity."

Her son, Austin Van De Ven, is an eighth-grader at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School who was participating in his second science fair. Austin tested 10 brands of disinfecting wipes to find out which one was the most effective at eliminating bacteria. He used 55 petri dishes and measured bacteria colonies daily.

"My hypothesis was that Clorox brand would be the best and it turns out it was right," Austin said.

Saxony Lutheran High School senior Rachael Gruenwald, 17, left, answers questions about her project "The Cost of a Calorie," from the judges Joe Pujol, right, and Jason Waggner during the 2013 Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair Tuesday, March 5, at the Show Me Center. Gruenwald was awarded first place in the medicine and science category of the senior division and received the Surgeon General's Special Service Award for her project which looked into the difference in cost between a healthy meals and unhealthy unhealthy meals.

His idea for the experiment came from his immune deficiency. Austin said he has to wipe his desk down every day at school. Last year, he tested hand sanitizers. He found two of the most widely used brands were the worst at eliminating germs and the generic store brand worked best. Austin said he won first place in the microbiology category last year.

Saxony Lutheran High School senior Rachael Gruenwald, 17 answers questions about her project "The Cost of a Calorie," from the judges Joe Pujol, left, and Jason Waggner, right, during the 2013 Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair Tuesday, March 5, at the Show Me Center. Gruenwald was awarded first place in the medicine and science category of the senior division and received the Surgeon General's Special Service Award for her project which looked into the difference in cost between a healthy meals and unhealthy unhealthy meals. (ADAM VOGLER)

"This is pretty fun," he said. "I like getting to tell people about my experiment and what I've done."

He said an experiment he would like to run is on how literature affects brain-wave patterns.

Other experiments tested whether viewing happy or sad images and thinking of them made muscles work stronger or weaker, whether children were easily influenced and which kinds of manure made the best fertilizer. Categories included behavioral sciences, botany, chemistry, physics, environmental sciences, math and computer science.

For Maci Jo Schamburg, an eighth-grader at Oak Ridge, this was her first science fair. Her experiment, "Pumping up the Brain," tested whether exercise affects how the brain works -- an idea that came from her love of sports.

"Sports are my life; I live and breathe sports," Schamburg said. "I'm also a good student and I keep my grades up, and I was looking for a way to connect the two."

Schamburg said she tested her parents and sister to see if exercise helps them think through problems.

"My family jumped at the chance to help me," she said. "I found that exercise did help them think and made problems come out better."

McGowan said the importance of the science fair is to get students excited about science.

"A lot of students who do experiments end up majoring in science in college," McGowan said.

The science fair is sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, the Southeast Missouri State University College of Science, Technology and Agriculture, and Drury Southwest.

apicar@semissourian.com

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