Hollister - There were no vinegar and baking soda volcanos. Instead, local students displayed real scientific ingenuity, posing hypotheses about what part of the orange has the most vitamin C, or what happens when you add soda to houseplants.
On Tuesday night, students gathered with their families and community members for the annual San Benito County Science Fair at Veterans Memorial Building.
The science fair saw around 215 applicants from grades four through eight. First-, second- and third-place prizes were awarded in seven different categories, and six of the students will go on to participate in the statewide science fair.
But all students who participated seemed to learn something from their projects.
Sydney Locsin, an 11-year-old from San Juan School, did an experiment testing magazines from Hazel Hawkins Hospital for germs.
Locsin said she was surprised to find they were germ-free.
"My hypothesis was wrong - but I learned that I shouldn't be afraid of the magazines," she said.
Locsin said she especially liked swiping and testing the magazines with her grandmother, who is a microbiologist at the hospital.
While Locsin was inspired by a family member, 10-year-old Kyle Markfield from Sacred Heart said he came up with the idea for his experiment after eating oranges during halftime at his soccer game.
Kyle Markfield's experiment tested which part of the orange has the most vitamin C. Kyle Markfield said he was surprised to find that the juice actually had the least vitamin C.
"I found I learned a lot more about oranges. You should eat all of the orange - except for the skin, because that doesn't taste good," he said.
Kyle Markfield's younger sister, 8-year-old Felicia Markfield, won best of show for her experiment. As best of show winner, Felicia Markfield was awarded a $500 savings bond from Waste Management.
Felicia Markfield's experiment tested the strength of hair by color.
Charles Oles, who has been coordinator of the San Benito County Science Fair for the last seven years, said Felicia Markfield's experiment was a good example of the creativity that the judges saw at this year's fair.
"I think there's a lot more original experiments this year," Oles said, adding that this sentiment was echoed by the judges.
The event was judged by 12 local judges, who were chosen for their background in science.
Many of the students said they enjoyed doing their science projects, and some even mentioned going on to study science in the future.
"I like learning science," 9-year-old Cerra Vista student Steven Sausedo said. "You could be a scientist, see if you can help the world and maybe even fix global warming."
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 336 or at ajoy@freelancenews.com.
Alice Joy Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at ajoy@freelancenews.com or 831-637-5566 ext. 336.
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