2006 Middle and Senior Division of Regional Science Fair Brings Out the Best

What makes cereal soggy? Who has higher lung capacity, girls or boys? Do certain colors make your eyes feel tired? These are just some of the questions answered through study and research at the 2006 Middle and Senior Division of the Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair.

The best of PWCS’ student scientists were on hand to compete for top honors at this mid-March event. More than 100 projects were up to the test, and judges included everyone from teachers to doctors to military personnel.

Science fairs are not just about studying science. Students who participate in these shows excel in a variety of areas, and competitors must pull together all of their knowledge and resources in order to be successful. Mary Keen, the science instructional support team lead for Western elementary schools, says that science fair projects allow students to showcase and strengthen what they learned in all of their school classes.

“They will work on their public speaking skills, they have to do research which requires using their library skills, they’re working on their writing skills, their math, their science. There is a myriad of skills that a science fair helps a student with,” says Keen.

Some of the event’s top winners included Potomac High School freshman Rima Janosziewicz, who received first place honors in the Mathematics category for her project, “The Effect of Musical Eras on the Presence of the Fibonacci Sequence;” Battlefield High School sophomore Robert Ford, who won first place in the Computer Science category for “Driven to Distraction 2.0;” and Bull Run Middle School seventh-grader Kristina Keiner, who earned first place in the Environmental category with her project “Vroom-Vroom Veggies.” She created bio-diesel fuel and then tested its energy output versus that of commercial gasoline.

Kristina’s project choice, like many others, was a reflection of her personal interests. Vroom-Vroom Veggies came from her appreciation of the environment. “I know that regular gas emissions and diesel emissions really hurt the environment and I knew that bio-diesel was better because it’s a natural-based substance. But I also wanted to see if I could create something better or as good as regular commercial diesel energy-wise,” said Keiner.

Seventh and eighth graders in the Middle School division were ranked first, second, third, and honorable mention by the category judges. All positions received a medal and a certificate for their efforts, but first-place winners also received a plaque. Students in grades nine through twelve competed in the Senior Division. They were given the same recognitions as the Middle School students, but first-place winners in this division also earned a ticket to the state science fair.

To see more projects and stories from the Prince William-Manassas Regional Science Fair, check out the School Focus feature on Comcast Channel 21. Visit the station’s Web site for show times and info.

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