Eleanor Roosevelt High School celebrated its 34th Annual Research Symposium on April 26, with all 231 science and tech seniors presenting their year-long projects. The research practicum has been called a science fair on steroids. Students stand with professionally finished posters and discuss their work with parents, mentors and other classmates. In addition, 20 or so students auditioned for the five slots of oral presentations to the packed auditorium.
One of this year’s topics was Conjunction Analysis with Space Situational Awareness in Low Earth Orbit. Karmaria Davis explained that while working at NASA Goddard as an intern, she had studied the likelihood of two satellites colliding and how orbits could be changed to reduce that possibility. Claudia Carter’s project, Lipids’ Effect on Mutualistic Skin Flora, combined two enthusiasms: biology and theater. She wanted to measure the health effects of theatrical makeup on skin. She found two types of theatrical makeup and then measured the growth of different types of bacteria on the skin of actors from the high school production of Cinderella.
Another project, Developing New Glass Property Models with Machine Learning presented by Charles Dawson, involved developing a neural network so computers could develop a database of glass properties, examining many types at one time, instead of each one individually. The glass is used to contain radioactive waste and its stability on many fronts needs to be examined.
Jane Hemelt, ERHS’s science and technology coordinator, said she has visited many similar high schools around the country and the rigor of the ERHS program and the enthusiasm of staff and students match all of them. “We have the best teachers,” she said gathering a cheer from the students in the audience, “and we have the best students.”
Every year, the graduating students from the science and tech program honor a teacher for his or her dedication. This year, students chose physics teacher Laurent Rigal for his role in their education. Students jumped to their feet to give him a standing ovation as he accepted the award. The two other big rounds of applause went to Susan Peterson and Linda Watson, the school’s media specialist and computer coordinator, respectively. Students gave the two women flowers and cards for their help in getting papers and posters to the finish line.
The afternoon was a preliminary graduation ceremony for students who had worked in science and tech for four years and were finishing with a flourish and a congratulatory pin. Science and Tech is a specialty program in county schools. Eighth graders test for admission and, if successful, are assigned a spot in the closest high school that has the program. Once in the program, students must take a curriculum that is heavy with science, engineering and math, including several Advanced Placement science courses, as well as completing all other requirements for graduation. The ERHS program started 41 years ago and is the oldest in the county. Charles Herbert Flowers and Oxon Hill high schools are the other county schools in this program.
Amy Hansen is on staff of the News Review and has a son graduating from the Science and Tech program at ERHS