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Beeghly Center hosts annual science day
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
There was a different type of madness on the Beeghly Center basketball court Saturday.
Though many are focused on college hoops, about 100 select students from Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties had their sights set on science.
These students competed Saturday at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center in the Lake-to-River Science Day — a regional tournament for students in grades five through 12 who scored high enough in their local school fair to move on to the next level.
Dr. Stephen Rodabaugh, associate dean in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at YSU, also was the science fair’s District 15 director.
Rodabaugh said that this year, 107 students from public, private and parochial schools qualified to compete in the event, and 54 of those are eligible to compete May 7 in the state science fair in Columbus.
“This science fair enhances and enriches their science education,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to experience science with their own hands.”
Rodabaugh said each student must choose a category, create a hypothesis, then test and retest the hypothesis.
“It’s good for them because they’re in charge,” he said.
Karen Harding of Youngs-town said her granddaughter and grandson, age 12 and 11, respectively, both entered projects in the fair. She said the work is good preparation for more-independent assignments later in school.
“It helps prepare them for when they have to do papers and projects on their own,” she said. “ Talking to the judges is good experience for them too, because it helps build confidence.”
Maria Santana, a sixth-grader at St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Austintown, said she chose to determine the most effective type of potting soil.
For about three weeks, Santana tested organic soil, chemically enhanced soil and regular soil and determined her hypothesis — the organic soil would grow the best — was correct.
“This whole thing was very fun,” she said. “It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but once you get in here and get in focus, it feels great.”
Nicholas Mostella, an eighth-grader at St. Christine’s in Youngstown, said the idea to test how music affects one’s ability to concentrate came from his sister.
Mostella said his sister often reads while listening to music, something he said is distracting. To put his hypothesis to the test he studied groups of girls and boys and found that girls have an easier time reading with music on than boys.
“It’s been fun, because there are so many things to do once you’re here,” he said. “There are so many people around to talk to.”
Mostella, who was awarded a $25 cash prize for his project, said he checked out his competition and was impressed.
“Most of the projects here are very creative,” he said.