The South Texas Chapter (ST Chapter) hosted a unique, online-proctored Science Competition on May 1st, 2021. This local chapter event was held as part of the KSEA National Mathematics & Science Competition (NMSC). The ST Chapter planned this competition in order to provide NMSC participants a chance to utilize their critical thinking skills and develop a passion for science. In conjunction with the KSEA NMSC event, the ST Chapter has hosted the annual Science Competition for the past 15 years, with the exception of NMSC 2020, which was held virtually. Several NMSC 2020 participants and their parents expressed their regret at the loss of the Science Competition, which had allowed students to demonstrate their understanding of a multitude of scientific principles and their skills in implementing their ideas into reality. As a result, the ST Chapter carefully planned a COVID-safe Science Competition as part of their preparations for NMSC 2021. Dr. Jong Min Choi (ST Chapter ED, Baylor College of Medicine) was selected to chair the event.
A total of 25 students, ranging from 4th through 11th grade, participated in the Science Competition. The necessary materials were mailed to students a week before the event. In order to ensure the integrity of the competition, the envelopes were sealed with tamper-evident tape, and participants were notified not to open the package until the start of the competition. On the day of the competition, all of the participants joined a Zoom meeting and proved that their package was still sealed. Students were allotted one hour to build their projects while being monitored over Zoom.
This year’s task was to build a catapult using 25 popsicle sticks, one pair of wooden chopsticks, two rubber bands, one plastic spoon, and one roll of transparent tape. The purpose of the task was to test the students’ understanding of potential and kinetic energy, as well as their ability to implement their ideal design within the allotted time frame. While it can be quite challenging to design and construct a catapult within an hour, all participants were able to build their creations within the time limit. The students were then instructed to put their completed catapults in the provided, tamper-proof, self-sealing plastic bag and proceed to the designated testing site.
The catapults were tested at the location of the local chapter’s Math Competition award ceremony. Inspired by the success of other KSEA chapters’ drive-through award ceremonies for previous years’ NMSC events that followed public health guidelines for social distancing, the ST Chapter also planned a drive-through award ceremony for the winners of the Math Competition at the Korean Catholic Church in Houston. The ST Chapter converted the award ceremony into a joint event for both the Math award and Science Competitions.
After arriving at the venue, students were guided inside, one at a time, and given three chances to launch a bean sack with their catapults. The greatest distance among the three attempts was counted for the competition. Andrew Jung (Carnegie Vanguard HS, 11th grade) had the best result among all participants, with a record of 160cm. Maureen Min (Memorial MS, 7th grade), came 2nd overall, with a record of 140cm. The top three students from each grade were selected after the conclusion of the event and notified by email. Awards were presented by the Governor of Texas, the Mayor of Houston, and the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Houston. KSEA HQ’s support of this event allowed the ST Chapter to provide a gift card to all participants.
This event was also highlighted in the local Korean newspaper as part of KSEA’s continuous effort to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic by nurturing Korean-American students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The ST Chapter received several appreciation emails from the parents of the participants, attesting to the success and popularity of the event.
The ST Chapter is proud of the success of its first online-based Science Competition. Through this event, the ST Chapter demonstrated KSEA’s consistent support of the next generation’s interest in STEM, as well as its fortitude and determination, unhindered by the worst of pandemics.
Article Author: Sung Yun Jung
Chapter President
Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
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