Students put science and engineering to the test at YSU

Students put science and engineering to the test

By SEAN BARRON

news@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Perhaps one day, a career in science might be Ryan McKinney’s bread and butter, but for now, he’s content to just explain the significance of certain parts of a toaster’s innards.

“I like science a lot and taking things apart and seeing how they work,” said Ryan, a seventh-grader at W.S. Guy Middle School in Liberty Township.

Ryan disassembled a toaster and explained how an energy coil on the side and steel plate in the middle start the flow of and conserve heat, respectively. Working with Ryan was his friend, sixth-grader Michael Vince.

Ryan, who’s got his eye on being a basketball player, comedian or inventor of the latest roller coaster, said he hopes to add attending Youngstown State University to his plate.

The two were among 72 W.S. Guy students in grades six through eight who took part in Thursday’s 90-minute Tear Apart a Toaster science event in YSU’s Moser Hall.

The gathering, put on by the local chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, gave the youngsters an opportunity to take apart a variety of common household items such as toasters, coffee makers, computer screens, towers and keyboards, mixers, printers and typewriters. It also was set up to deepen their appreciation for science and technology and point to careers in those fields, organizers said.

“I always wanted to see what’s inside appliances used at home and thought this would be cool,” Michael said of his participation, adding that he’s unsure how large a role science will play in his future.

It was hard to recognize what had been a computer keyboard after sixth-graders Isabella Nunu and Courtney Weimer went to work.

“It’s interesting to see the inside of objects and know more about engineering,” Isabella said as she and Courtney removed each letter and number key before scrutinizing the remains.

Both girls expressed an interest in being car mechanics. Already, Courtney has helped her father, a truck driver, change the oil and work with a muffler on his vehicle, she said.

Another toaster received an extra amount of exposure, thanks to sixth-graders Haneen Kotb, Jordyn Faustino and Teshaia Cain.

“I like tearing things apart,” Jordyn said with laughter as she, Haneen and Teshaia used screwdrivers to remove the toaster’s plates and coils.

Haneen’s father’s career influenced her decision to take part in the event, she said.

“I came here because my dad’s a mechanic, and I thought it would be a good idea to experience what [engineering is] like as a possible opportunity when I’m older,” Haneen added.

The girls said their interest in science was piqued last summer when they toured Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ravenna. Also on tap was a YSU tour that introduced them to robotics, they fondly recalled.

Besides giving the students an up-close look at how everyday items are made, the event was intended to get them to see career possibilities in science and technology — and to shatter the notion that those fields are mainly for males, noted Kathie Carlile, director of curriculum for Liberty schools.

“A lot of kids think math and science are too hard or boring and don’t see themselves in jobs in these fields,” Carlile pointed out. “An event like this shows there are jobs and opportunities.”

The Liberty school district formed a partnership with YSU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and last year W.S. Guy received a $120,000 STEM grant, she noted. STEM concepts are incorporated in all of the district’s math and science classes, Carlile said.

The Society of Women Engineers also promotes STEM coursework, said Michelle Stipetich, the local SWE chapter’s vice president and event organizer.

Stipetich, who’s also a civil-engineering major at YSU, praised the 12 university students who volunteered to help. She also was grateful for the turnout, originally estimated to be between 20 and 30 youngsters.

“It’s a great thing for YSU to put this on for us,” said Ryan Philbin, a sixth-grade science teacher at W.S. Guy. “It’s awesome.”