Thirteen CCSD Students Advance to State Science Fair

By Anisa Sullivan Jimenez

Thirteen Clarke County School District students are moving on to the state science fair, after winning first place honors at the regional fair at Athens Technical College in February. A total of 26 middle and high school students participated in the regional fair after winning first place in the school district’s fair. The state fair is Mar. 21-23 at the Classic Center.

“Our students continue to take top honors at regional and state competitions, and I commend these students and their teachers and parents. The caliber of these projects is exceptional, and I know all of these students will go on to have successful careers due to their higher-order thinking skills, problem solving capabilities and the manner in which they presented their projects,” said Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue.

Middle School Level
Lauren Chen and Linsey Chen, Hilsman Middle School – They experimented with the magnetic buoyancy force of a non-magnetic object submerged in a ferromagnetic fluid in a magnetic field.
Aneesa Conine-Nakano, Suncana Pavlic and Zoe Peterson, Clarke Middle School – They tested how the design and number of rotor blades on a wind turbine affects the amount of electricity produced.
Rachel Hoover, Hilsman Middle School – She tested make-ups and lotions with sunscreen in them, and compared their effectiveness versus classic sunscreen brands.
Abhu Jadhav, Hilsman Middle School – He investigated the effects of various carbohydrates and sugar substitutes on the metabolism of yeast.
Lydia Jackson, Clarke Middle School – She compared four different vehicles, including the hovercraft and a magnetically levitating train that she built.
Geoffrey Mon, Hilsman Middle School – He tested the recoverability of files deleted with regular deletion versus a secure deletion algorithm.

High School Level
Angelina Choi, Cedar Shoals High School – She tested a biosand filter over a period of time to see if its effectiveness would increase.
Claudia Gaither, Cedar Shoals High School – She examined the effect of skin pigmentation on UV-B absorption.
Jack Schramski, Cedar Shoals High School – He examined the difference between the stopping distances of bicycles when equipped with two different types of tires: mountain and road.
Theresa Vencill, Cedar Shoals High School – She examined whether common additions to soil, such as composted manure, have an effect on leaching.