Young scientists from three counties took part in the 2024 Ohio District 13 Science Day competition hosted by at Tuscarawas. Over twenty middle and high school students participated in the event and displayed their knowledge and passion for various areas of science. District 13 Science Day is under the umbrella of the Ohio Academy of Science, the leading organization in Ohio advancing the understanding and practice of science, engineering and technology. Participation in the District 13 Science Day is open to students from Carroll, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
The is focused on encouraging the discovery, understanding, dissemination and practice of education, science, mathematics, engineering, technology and their applications, with a mission of fostering curiosity, discovery, innovation and problem-solving skills in Ohio students.
“For the second year in a row, we were honored to host the Science Day competition and to provide a venue for young scientists from three counties to share their knowledge and skills,” said event organizer Vey Wagner, engineering department academic program officer. “Students and their families had the opportunity to explore the campus, be creative in the Makerspace and have hands-on experiences with our College of Applied and Technical Studies engineering technology department.”
A Passion for Science
Kayla Stine, a 12-year-old Jackson Memorial Middle School student, only had to look around her classroom to find an idea for her project – titled “The Effects of Lyrics on Memorization.”
“Many students in my school wear ear buds while the teacher is trying to give out study material, and I always wondered if that helped or hindered their ability to perform well on tests,” Stine said.
She decided to investigate the effects of listening to music while taking tests – specifically, the difference between listening to music with lyrics and music without lyrics.
“I found that music without lyrics actually improves test scores by about 2% while music with lyrics decreased scores by about 22.5%,” said Stine. “It was an extreme difference. Music without lyrics is known to connect the right and left sides of the brain, helping with connection and memory; meanwhile, the left side, when music has lyrics, is trying to comprehend the lyrics and memorization at once. So, it’s overwhelming for that side of the brain.”
Why did Stine decide to participate in the Ohio District 13 Science Day competition?
“I’ve always loved science and have a passion for it,” she said.
Stine received a superior rating and advanced to the state competition.
Dreams of Flying High
With hopes of becoming a pilot for the Navy one day, Liam Nelson’s project focused on how airplanes work. The 12-year-old Jefferson Memorial Middle School student’ project, titled “Which Wing Shape Supports the Most Mass?” looked at how wing shape affected the amount of mass a plane can support.
“I chose this project because I’m into aerodynamics and one day I would like to become a pilot for the Navy,” said Nelson. “It really helped me understand how airplanes work and I really enjoyed learning everything. I found out that one of the oldest wing shapes actually supported the most weight.”
Do Dimples Really Matter?
Jaymes Smith, an Alliance Middle School student, loves golf! When thinking of a science project, he naturally delved into the sport for answers to questions.
His project, titled “Dimples, Spin and Distance Oh My” studied golf balls in relation to the different dimple styles found in variously priced balls.
“It’s a study of the different prices of golf balls,” said Smith. “They have different dimples and different technology used to make them.”
Smith found that whether golf balls cost $8 or $25, different dimpling had no effect on their performance.
“Test results were really just consistent,” he said. “The price of the ball – it doesn’t really matter.”
Smith said this project was perfect for him.
“I love golf, it’s one of my hobbies. I like math and doing the numbers. It was fun for me” he said.
Smith received a superior rating and advanced to the state competition.
Molding Cheese
Does the level of acidity affect how cheese is preserved?
This is the question Mackenzie Susor, a 12-year-old from Jackson Memorial Middle School, investigated for her science project, titled “The Effect of Acidity on Molding Cheese.”
She studied what happens to cheese when preserved in different acidities regarding the molding process.
“It turned out that the more acidic cheese never molded, the average acidic cheese molded and the basic cheese – it disintegrated,” said Susor. “I believe this happened because in a lake, when it gets too acidic, the fish begin to die. So, considering that fish are living organisms and so is mold, I think that’s what caused the mold not to grow – because the acid killed it.
When taking on this project, Susor said she didn’t know anything about how cheese is made and how mold works but found it all fits together in a way she didn’t think it would.
Susor received a superior rating and advanced to the state competition.
Superior Ratings
The following participants received superior ratings during the Ohio District 13 Science Day held at Tuscarawas and can compete at the State Science Day in Columbus this May:
- Eva Bridges, Canton Country Day Schools
- Alena Griffin, East Canton Middle School
- Quinten Lewis, East Canton Middle School
- Allen Peppers, East Canton Middle School
- Ethan Rowles, Saint Philip and James
- Jaymes Smith, Alliance Middle School
- Kayla Stine, Jackson Memorial Middle School
- Mackenzie Susor, Jackson Memorial Middle School
- Foster Varian, East Canton Middle School
Scholarship Awards
The following scholarship awards were presented:
- Akron Section of the American Chemical Society Award
- Tuscarawas Emerging Scholar Award
- Tuscarawas Emerging Scientist Award
- Ohio College Advantage 529 Award
- Ohio Soybean Bioscience Award
- Ohio Water Environment Award
- B-Wiser Science Camp Award
“Thanks to the parents, teachers and of course, the students for sharing their research and participating in the Ohio Science Day event,” Wagner said. “We also appreciate the faculty and staff who helped make this event a success.”
Ohio District 13 Science Day sponsors included Tuscarawas, Ohio’s 529 College Advantage, OWEA, Stark County Ohio Gem & Mineral Club, ACS Local Section Akron, and Ohio Soybean Farmers.