Science and Technology Carnival inspires younger students
The air buzzed with excitement as middle school students migrated from one booth to the next to explore their interests in science and technology on Friday, March 9th. In the present day, science and technology have taken over our everyday lives due to its rapid growth. By hosting events such as the Science Bowl, Passport Challenge, and Science Theatre, the school sets out to inspire the younger students in this realm of knowledge by putting together fun activities and performances. Early in the morning of the event, the high school students arranged the booths out by the field, rehearsed their final lines, and set up the equipment for Science Bowl to prepare for insightful experiments and games that will be showcased to the middle school students.
In the morning, Science-related classes prepared their activities for the day. From digital simulators to psychological tests, high school students were able to actively interact with the middle school students and inspire them with exciting games and experiments. the students gathered in the auditorium for a series of impressive performances. One memorable performance was the Acid Dance, where performers moderated the lyrics to the well-known upbeat song Happy by Pharrell Williams to suit the dance they had prepared. Katherine Liu (10A), one of the dancers, commented: “I think it was really meaningful, allowing us to come together as a group for this. At the same time, we can teach the students science in a fun way.” The educational song paired perfectly with the fun dance the group had practiced for weeks.
In the afternoon, technology booths began their activities. The Computer Club developed an interactive game of their own for the audience to participate in. The player stands in front of a sensor while looking at a screen shooting multicolored balls like a music simulation game. The player must move his hands back and forth to “catch” the balls, which arrive at the beat of the music. Christopher Liu (12C), the main contributor to the game, expressed his excitement, saying, “It was really fun since I put a lot of effort into the game and they [middle school students] really enjoyed it.” The club was extremely proud of their achievement and their ability to entertain the students. Michelle Wassmuth (12A), the vice president of Computer Club said, “I think that the festival is just as fun for those who are organizing as it is for those who participated.”
Although the clubs and classes worked extremely hard for the special day, we cannot forget those that worked behind the curtains for not only the day of the event, but also for the six months prior. From scheduling activities to preparing props, the middle high school science and technology faculty staff and the 13-member student science team organizers spent month after month perfecting the day. On the day of the fair, the organizers were seen running around the campus to keep everything running smoothly and to help whoever needed it. “It was chaotic and we anticipated a lot of crisis management but when the day came the middle school students actually had a lot of fun and I think we really inspired them to see science in a new light,” said Vincie Wang (12C), the leader of the science team organizers.
After an exhausting yet fruitful day, the students packed their bags and cleaned up their activities, hoping they had sparked an interest in the science and tech fields for the younger generation.
Featured Image – Wesley and Fawaz show a chemistry-related experiment to middle school students at the Passport Challenge
Photos courtesy of Sydney Lin