Super Science Saturday offers the right formula for families

The Herald Times

Super Science Saturday offers the right formula for families

Posted: Sunday, November 17, 2013 12:00 am

By Lindsey Erdody
331-4368 | lerdody@heraldt.com

Amelia Chong | Herald-Times

Dezikru and Dezikri Amrullah, 10 and 6, watch as a volunteer demonstrates ethanol precipitation to “clean” DNA during Super Science Saturday at the Ivy Tech Indiana Center for the Life Sciences. Due to the good turnout — at least 351 people — on Saturday, there are plans to make the event an annual affair, said co-organizer and Ivy Tech faculty member Sarah Cote.

Adults and kids stood huddled together wearing thick yellow gloves vigorously shaking clear plastic bags filled with ice. It didn’t look like anything at first, but after 10 minutes, it became edible.

The make your own ice cream stand at Ivy Tech Community College’s Super Science Saturday was a popular stop for families, as a line continuously formed next to the table.

Ivy Tech associate professor Sarah Cote was one of five faculty members who organized the event and said it quickly exceeded their expectations when people started arriving at 9:45 a.m., and the event didn’t start until 10:30.

“By 10:30 a.m., we had a line out the door,” Cote said.

By 11 a.m., the parking lot at the Indiana Center for the Life Sciences was full, and more than 100 people had already attended, which was all Cote said they were planning on for the two-hour event.

Hilarie Morozoua brought her four kids there because they love science experiments and don’t get the chance to do many at home.

“We thought, well, we’ll come and check it out,” Morozoua said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but this is really cool.”

Morozoua said a great part about it was the variety in the activity stations. In addition to making ice cream, kids could create lava lamps in plastic bottles, build candy DNA, make elephant toothpaste, learn about owl pellets and extract iron from breakfast cereal.

Nelson Shaffer, section head of Indiana Geological Survey, brought his 2-year-old granddaughter to the event as a way to get her interested in science at a young age.

“I hope that the little one will grow up to be a scientist,” Shaffer said.

He said she was a little young to enjoy some of booths, but she did love one activity where ketchup is dropped into a water bottle and sinks to the bottom.

There were about 25 booths staffed by Ivy Tech students participating from nine classes either to fulfill a service learning requirement or for extra credit. Some of the students created the activities themselves, and others were suggested by the faculty.

“You never know a topic as well as when you teach it,” Cote said. “It really gets them connected to the community.”

It was the first time the classes have done an event on their own, Cotes said, mentioning they usually assist at a science night or help at WonderLab.

She said given the great turnout, it’s definitely something they’ll continue.

Morozoua said if the event is held again, they’d definitely come back.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Morozoua said.

Photos: Super Science Saturday
Super Science Saturday took place on Nov. 16 at the Ivy Tech Indiana Center for the Life Sciences. Organizers confirmed that at least 351 children and their parents attended the event; co-organizer and Ivy Tech professor Sarah Cote said that the good turnout encouraged the team to make the event an annual affair.