THE RETIRED MAN ran into the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall with his notebook, saying he only had two hours to look at all the exhibits at the 44th Hawaii State Science & Engineering Fair and take notes. Science fair surprises
students and observersStudents impressive
By Helen Altonn
Star-BulletinHe declined to identify himself but said he used to raise tropical fish and goes to the fair every year to see what kind of research Hawaii's students are doing. He's especially interested in "anything with water."
"Everybody should come here," he said. "You get ideas even for the home -- which products are good."
The Hawaii Academy of Science sponsors the annual event with support from many organizations, agencies and companies. About 360 students participated from more than 66 public and private schools statewide. Thousands of dollars in awards were presented in a ceremony yesterday.
Fair director Katherine H. Aratani said she thinks the students are getting more creative, especially on the junior level.
Senior participation dwindled this year, she said, noting of 125 projects in the senior division, from ninth to 12th grades, only a dozen seniors participated. Also, few computer or math-related projects were submitted, she said.
Some were so advanced, however, that Maria Ducote, fifth grade teacher at St. Andrews Priory, suggested they could be helpful in scientific research.
Marisa Kellett's work, for example, was on "Effect of Extracts of Artocarpus altilis on Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cells."
Research ran the gamut, from serious medicine to whether Kona coffee tastes and smells better than other brands of coffee.
(Yes, it tastes better than Columbia coffee, but the latter smells better, Katie Thompson of Kealakehe Intermediate School concluded.)
Cameron Lewis got a design for a chip over a Web site from someone in London to develop an interface between a camera and receiver for his exhibit: "Digital Aerial Photography from Radio-controlled Airplanes."
He combined his hobbies -- flying model airplanes and photography -- to get higher resolution low-altitude photographs -- "maps people can study." A sophomore, he plans "to make this a lot better, to expand it, in the next few years."
THE EXHIBITS were open to school groups and the public yesterday, and most students were required to select some exhibits for reports back to their science classes.
Alishia Ginoza and Karen Nguyen, McKinley High School juniors, took notes on a project about "earthworm efficiency" by Kelli Harada of Mililani High School.
"We're gonna look around and see what it's all about. We have to write a critique," Ginoza said.
Daniel Wightman, seventh-grader at St. Louis, was studying a DNA exhibit by Michael Fishbain of St. Mark Lutheran School. "I think DNA is kind of interesting," he said.
"Please Don't Dye: Effects of Hair Dye," a project by Paris Kippen of St. Andrew's Priory, intrigued Ana Ngyen, McKinley 11th-grader. She was relieved to learn that the streaks in her hair wouldn't cause it to fall out.
"Now I know better. I won't be scared when I dye," she said.
"Cool" was the reaction of freshman Henry Longi and sophomore John Yoshida, both of McKinley, when an exhibit told them female eighth and 12th-graders are more observant than males.
"Wow. I didn't know that for myself," Yoshida said.
David Suganuma, a workers' compensation adjuster, said he was impressed with the project's research.
He has a 6-year-old son and wanted to see if there was much difference between public and private school projects, he said.
"I can't tell that much difference, to tell you the truth. It depends on the student, if they excel and put time into it."
But things are a lot different than when he went to school, he said, noting the switch from encyclopedias to computers. "Just organizing and analyzing all the data is beyond what I had at that age. The information age is helping students progress."
Four Kamehameha Schools' students won top awards in the Senior Research category: Marisa Kellett, first place grand award; Kiani Arkus, second place grand award; Kawika Mortensen, third place grand award; and Kekoa Sylva, honorable mention. Cameron Lewis of Hawaii Preparatory Academy and Stephanie Tsang of Waiakea High School, both on the Big Island, also won honorable mentions. Students impressive at fair
Star-Bulletin staff
Hawaiian Electric Co. and Chevron Companies will sponsor trips for Kellett and Arkus as they represent the state fair at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair May 6-12 in San Jose, Calif.
The Junior Research category winners: Yuko Hara, St. Andrew's Priory, first place grand award; Kimberly Reinhold, St. Joseph Junior-Senior High School, Hilo; Lisa Yang, also of St. Joseph, third place grand award; Anne Yoshizawa and Ryan McGinnis, both of Iao School, Maui, honorable mentions; and Ho'olai Tjorvatjoglou, Kamehameha Intermediate, honorable mention.
In Junior Display: Ariadne C. Medler of Konawaena Middle School, Big Island, first place grand award; Noah E. Ambard, St. Mark Lutheran School of Kaneohe, second place grand award; Adam Glickstein, Mid-Pacific Institute, third place grand award; Blaine M. Tolentino, St. Ann's School, Kaneohe, honorable mention; Ilana Nimz, Le Jardin Academy, honorable mention; and Pogai Ka'awaloa, Naolionalani Weller and No'eau Kalima, all of Keaukaha Elementary School in Hilo, honorable mention.