Can a science fair change someone's life?

It's not hyperbole when Dr. Chelsea Grigery says things like: "We're going to change two students' lives tonight." Grigery, a Sikeston native and local physician, is proof of this statement.

On Wednesday, 650-plus students participated in the 62nd annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair held at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

This year's record number of students, according to Grigery, produced 442 projects. And two students received an opportunity to go to the next level in May. More on this shortly.

Grigery joined Dr. Chris McGowan, retired dean at Southeast Missouri State University, as co-director of this year's science fair.

A SoutheastHEALTH pediatrician, Grigery participated in the science fair as a student. She ultimately received the honor of advancing three times to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF).

Companies and universities attend the international event, recruit top talent and offer around $5 million in scholarships, she said.

"This is very important to me because I recognize this from a student perspective, I've even judged before, and now co-director of this fair," she said. "For me personally, I know without a doubt that this helped get me into medical school, which allowed me to become a pediatrician, and I've returned back to Southeast Missouri to start my practice down here. So I'm very fortunate that I've been able to see this come full circle. And it's just super important because I know how impactful it can be to students in science and technology fields."

Grigery's passion for the event is authentic. You can hear it in her voice, and she connects the science fair to much of her success.

Between more word of mouth, an outreach to community groups and a teacher's conference sponsored by SoutheastHEALTH, there appeared to be more buzz about this year's event.

The Southeast Missourian published a story in Thursday's newspaper about the fair, and I encourage you to look at the photo gallery on semissourian.com that features several of the students and entries.

It's not a secret that Cape Girardeau hosts a regional science fair. Still, some readers may be surprised, like I was, to hear about how important events like this can be to students.

This year the two students who will advance to the international fair are Jade Samanta from Saxony Lutheran and Dylan Long from Dexter High School. Grigery will attend the fair, too, along with Advance eighth-grade student Destiny Meyer. Meyer will attend as an observer. The international fair is to be held in May in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Grigery said 1,178 students were involved with the international fair last year, and 78 countries were represented.

While it was a banner year for the regional fair, Grigery said she would love to see more students, teachers and schools get behind the event. Those interested can look for more information next year via the group's facebook page or www.semo.edu/sciencefair.

I'll second that request. If you're a parent or local educator, encourage your students to participate in events like the science fair. It might be the challenge they need to enter a career in science or technology.

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Another reason to read newspapers

I'm not one to regularly reference the New York Times, but a recent column caught my attention for good reason. See Farhad Manjoo's perspective: "For Two Months, I Got My News From Print Newspapers. Here's What I Learned."

As someone who makes a living working for a local newspaper I have a vested interest in this perspective. Nevertheless, hear me out.

Manjoo wrote about a test he conducted, avoiding the barrage of alerts and, especially, social media for his news consumption. Instead, he subscribed to three newspapers -- The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and his local newspaper in California -- plus The Economist.

His goal was to stay informed but prioritize "depth and accuracy over speed."

The result of his one-person study made it clear he could spend time with the printed edition of the newspapers daily, avoid the constant dings on his mobile device and become better informed. He even read more books and picked up a hobby.

While he appreciates the value newspapers provide in print or online editions, his avoidance of social media played an important role.

"Just about every problem we battle in understanding the news today -- and every one we will battle tomorrow -- is exacerbated by plugging into the social-media herd. The built-in incentives on Twitter and Facebook reward speed over depth, hot takes over facts and seasoned propagandists over well-meaning analyzers of news," he wrote.

While I don't agree with his point in totality, he's correct that social media contributes too often to misinformation.

With that, consider this a thank you note. Thank you for subscribing to the Southeast Missourian. Thank you for supporting local news and sports coverage. Your support with subscriptions, sponsorships and advertising make a difference in providing quality journalism at the local level.

Thank you for reading.

Lucas Presson is the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian. His email address is lpresson@semissourian.com.