Students compete in Diocesan Science Fair

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

The Knights of Columbus Diocesan Science Fair attracted a record number of participants this year. See more photos on the Intermountain Catholic Facebook page. IC photo/Marie Mischel

SALT LAKE CITY — From aquaponics to astronomy, 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade students from all the Catholic middle schools in Utah probed the wonders of the universe and displayed their results at the annual Knights of Columbus Diocesan Science Fair on Feb. 22.

"I’m amazed by the experiments," said Robert Masse, Jr., the Utah Knights of Columbus state deputy. "They incorporate math, science – everything that is needed to advance them in their careers or future high school or college lives."

The Utah State Council Knights of Columbus began sponsoring the annual science fair 18 years ago, and it has grown each year. The 2014 fair garnered 333 entries, 30 more than last year, Masse said.

Of the students who competed, 45 will go on to the Salt Lake Valley Science Fair, and from there to the state competition.

Each student was able to choose their own experiment, and their hypotheses were as varied as their interests. For example, Anthony Trujillo, an 8th-grader at Saint Francis Xavier School, looked at the efficacy of fish droppings as a plant fertilizer in aquaponics. The idea came from the cost of avocados, which he is aware of because his mother is a vegetarian, he said.

Trujillo has entered the science fair for the last three years because he likes competing, he said, adding that over the years he has become more confident in his oral presentation and learned to include various graphs and charts on his display board to appeal to different judges’ preferences.

Although Trujillo was an experienced competitor, other students at the fair were presenting for the first time.

Michael Herman, an 8th-grader at Saint John the Baptist Middle School, said presenting at the fair was a requirement for his honors science class, but he enjoyed the experience. He questioned which of three beverages – coffee, tea or Coca-Cola – stains teeth the most.

"It’s kind of nice to do something like this rather than just a research project," he said. "You get to present something and you get to do a fun experiment. It’s something you can enjoy."

Likewise, Isabella Barrett, a Madeleine Choir School 7th-grader, was a first-time presenter this year. Her experiment explored the relationship between food cravings during pregnancy and specific vitamins required for fetal development, and won the Frances Lavoie Culture of Life award. "I really enjoyed the science fair," Barrett said, adding that she plans to enter again next year.

Overall, the students’ experiments and their presentation skills were impressive, said John Valdez, a district deputy with the Knights who was one of the fair’s judges. "I’m amazed at … how in-depth some of them have prepared themselves in learning the subject of the hypothesis that they were developing and the process that they went through to either prove or disprove what their hypothesis was, how they documented it, and their display," he said. "It’s also, I think, a great reflection on the quality of the staff and teachers in our Catholic schools today."

Overall winners of the Diocesan Science Fair:

6th grade – Olivia Culley, Saint Francis Xavier School

7th grade – Anna Drossos, J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School

8th grade – Kyle Hodges, Saint John the Baptist Middle School

Biological Science – Siena DiSera, Cosgriff

Earth Science – Katsumi Ito, Saint Joseph Elementary

Engineering – DaVinci Eccles, Madeleine Choir School

Environmental Science – Avery Young, Cosgriff

Medical/Behavioral Science – Anna Drossos, Cosgriff

Physical Science – Kyle Hodges, Saint John the Baptist

Space and Aeronautics– Siena DiSera, Cosgriff

Specialty awards winners:

Best Use of Mathematics – Maggie Condas, Saint Francis Xavier

Best Use of Working Model –Grant Leland, St. Joseph

Best Use of Oral Presentation – Olivia Culley, Saint Francis Xavier

Most Unique Visual Display – Chantelle Hollingsworth, Saint Francis Xavier

Culture of Life – Isabella Barrett, Choir School

Astronomy – Victoria Koch, Saint John the Baptist

Young Scientist – Anna Drossos, Cosgriff