STUDENTS TO GATHER FOR SCIENCE FAIR

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Southeast Regional Science Fair kicks off Tuesday, capping months of work for student exhibitors.

Winners from local science fairs compete this week for a host of prizes and awards, said Dr. Lester Leaton, director of the science fair.

The two top winners here will advance to the 42nd annual International Science and Engineering Fair. This year's competition will be held in Orlando, Fla. The science fair here pays expenses for the two students to attend this event.

Leaton said this year's fair includes 232 entries from 34 schools in southeast Missouri, including some schools which have not participated before.

The total number of entries is down some from last year, Leaton said.

He explained the reason for the decrease. "A number of schools scheduled a weeklong break this week because of the Easter holiday," he said.

Students will begin setting up their displays Tuesday at 8 a.m. in the Show Me Center. Judging will begin at 1 p.m. and student interviews will be held from 2:15-4 p.m.

The exhibits are open to the public Tuesday from 5-9 p.m.; Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

An awards dinner will be held Thursday at 6 p.m.

Leaton said last year, over 1,700 people attended the science fair. About 700 of those individuals were student exhibitors, judges or teachers.

"We have several schools who will bring busloads of students here to see the experiments," Leaton explained.

The experiments, he said, provide students a chance to explore a particular topic. But the experiments also require students to use skills from other academic areas.

"The projects not only use science," Leaton said. "They also use reading, writing and the ability to communicate ideas.

"The thing I like about science fair projects," Leaton said, "is that one of the initial steps a student must do is identify a problem or topic." He said asking the right questions is a key to understanding many concepts in science and other academic areas.

Students must then devise an experiment to measure what they want to measure. They make observations, collect data, organize the information and then prepare a paper explaining the results.

At the regional science fair, students also undergo a personal interview with judges who will ask questions.

"A science fair project teaches them the importance of being able to express themselves. Communicating ideas is so important."

About 70 judges will analyze the student projects and conduct the interviews. "We do have a number of faculty experts," Leaton said. "But we have experiments in areas like engineering and medicine and health.

"We also need a number of professional people from the area doctors, dentists, veterinarians, engineers to help with judging."

He said anyone interested in judging may forward his or her credentials to him for consideration for next year's fair.

The Southeast Missourian newspaper co-sponsors the fair with the university.