By TIERRA HAYES – Staff Writer
For the 2014-15 school year, the school science fair is no longer being required for all advanced science students.
After requiring all advanced Biology and Chemistry students to participate in the 2013-14 science fair as a part of their grade, the science department has decided to allow students to choose whether or not to complete the project.
“Last year we had an administrator on the district level that really wanted to see Clarke Central get more involved in the science fair,” science department teacher Thomasina Miranda said. “To try and make that happen, we decided that all students in (an) advanced level (class) should be able to handle a massive project like that.”
Many students felt that doing the compulsory project was time consuming and a burden.
“I didn’t like it, because I’m much less motivated to do something that I’m required to do than to do something I’m actually interested in,” sophomore Avery Warner said. “It was not a very fun experience for something that I was forced to do because I had to get a good grade on it.”
Instead of using last year’s method, the science department has new incentives to get students involved in the fair.
“Every year the science department gives out two huge scholarships and (we nominate) for the Governors Honor Program,” Miranda said. “In order for you to be eligible for these scholarships you need to be a part of the science fair and that’s just going on to say that you are interested in science and to show that you are capable of doing something on that level.”
Despite the high participation from last year, Miranda does not expect as many submissions this year.
“(We’re going) from about 200 students last year to barely pushing twenty this year,” Miranda said.
The school wide science fair will be held on Dec. 5. If students make it past this first round they will be invited to present at the district fair on Jan. 10 and can then move on to the regional fair on Jan. 30. The statewide fair will commence on Mar. 26-28.
This year Miranda has been unintentionally tasked with spearheading the fair, a position that former teacher Dr.Dennis Humphrey previously held.
“I created the science fair GLAD Time because I was one of the ones who got together with the science coordinator for the district learning about the specifics of what was needed for the project,” Miranda said. “That means that I can help students, give them advice and kind of guide them. I suppose that just by taking that initiative the other teachers are just kind of like, ‘Go ahead, you got it.’ ”
