ACS NEWS
AMAZED The Northeast Tennessee Section enthralled fourth graders with demonstrations ofof basic chemistry. demonstration basic chemistry
TAKING TO THE SKY National Chemistry Week celebrates the birth of flight with atmospheric chemistry theme AALOK MEHTA, C&EN WASHINGTON
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ican Chemical Society has come together like it does at no other time of the year. This year, thousands of volunteers from all 189 local sections combined their efforts with the chemical industry and ACS staff to put on activities and events nationwide in celebration of National Chemistry Week (NCW). Sponsored by ACS's Membership Division, N C W is designed to expand the public's understanding of the role and importance of chemistry in their daily lives. NCW, which took place from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, aimed high this year with the theme "Earth's Atmosphere and Beyond!" That motif was chosen, in part, because 2003 marks the centennial of Wilbur and Orville Wright's historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., which occurred on Dec. 17. The national efforts this October garnered some unique recognition from Congress. On Oct. 28, Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ.) introduced to the House of Representatives, with support from Reps. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-Mich.), Judy Biggert (R-I1L), and John W Olver (D-Mass.), a resolution recognizing the importance of chemistry to people's everyday lives and supporting the goals and ideals of NCW. Congress members then had a spirited 10-minute discus42
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sion applauding NCW's efforts. As in other years, ACS also received a presidential letter supporting NCW's efforts in promoting and educating the public about chemistry During the House discussion, Ehlers mentioned, in particular, activities put on by the Western Michigan Section. For the 10th year in a row, the events included "Chemistry at the Mall," which more than 3,000 people attended. Six local chemists performed demonstrations, and volunteers manned a dozen booths of hands-on activities there. Michigan received additional recognition, including a state Senate proclamation and a gubernatorial tribute letter, for its local N C W efforts. For example, the Midland Section worked with the Mid-Michigan Technician Affiliates Group to put on a science and glass-blowing demonstration titled "Atmosphere and Beyond"; the section also helped organize a Sci-Fest event at Delta College, which included a number of exhibits, planetarium shows, and activities; a fall scientific meeting on green chemistry; and demonstrations at National City Bank in West Branch, Mich. Other local section activities gained the attention of state and city governments. In Tennessee, Gov. Phil Bredesen pro-
claimed N C W , as did the mayors of Knoxville, Jackson, and Martin, largely as a result of work by the East Tennessee and Kentucky Lake Sections and Arch Chemical. Volunteers from East Tennessee held a "Magic of Chemistry" show at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and supported a chemistry show put on by the Maryville College student affiliates chapter. The Kentucky Lake Section performed a demonstration during its November N C W meeting and held additional programs for schoolchildren. Such local section efforts were made a little easier because of a number of ACS initiatives. For example, in support of NCW's education theme, ACS is making freely available until the end of the year more than 100 articles on atmospheric chemistry from its journals and a special issue oi Chemical Reviews focusing on longterm issues in atmospheric chemistry. More than 188,000 copies of the Celebrating Chemistry newspaper and 59,000 copies of the October issue ofChemMatters (featuring theme-related articles and activities) were distributed to local sections nationwide for N C W In addition, the October issue of the Journal of Chemical Education, which features many resources for educators, was made available to sections and free online from Oct. 1 to Nov 15. And for the second year, ACS worked with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to support N C W activities. In addition, two national contests were part of N C W festivities. Kindergarten through 12th-grade students turned in posters depicting atmospheric chemistry concepts to their local sections, which will submit their best entries in four grade categories for national recognition and the chance to win a handheld color TV or twoway radio. And the Chemvention competition challenged student affiliate chapters to design a procedure or device that measures the amount of oxygen in air as accurately as possible—for a total cost of less
HAPPY MOLE DAY Students from Gonzaga University and other members of the Inland Northwest Section celebrated Mole Day, Oct. 23, with a specially decorated cake. HTTP://WWW.CEN-0NLINE.ORG
brated the state's bicentennial with a joint event: Volunteers at several Cincinnati sites and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) in Columbus simultaneously performed the "Plane Smarts" experimentfromCelebrating Chemistry on Mole
Day ACS staff at headquarters in Washington, D.C., were just as lively as their CAS counterparts. MemTHREE'S COMPANY At a learning fair put on by the Greater Houston Section, students learn, among other bers of the Chemical things, about liquid nitrogen. Society of Washington and other volunteers than $ 100. The grand prize is $ 1,500, sup- held twice-daily liquid-nitrogen demonstrations at the Smithsonian National Air plied by Air Products for the purchase of computer equipment. & Space Museum, reaching about 600 visitors. Volunteers from ACS, ACC, and the In total, more than 50 chemical comGreen Chemistry Institute also visited panies and institutions helped with N C W area schools and the Capital Children's LAST YEAR, more than 10,000 volunteers Museum. To support the nationwide efforts, ACS staff held an in-house celefrom all across the U.S. participated in bration featuring awards, demonstrations, N C W activities. Similar figures are estiactivities, games, and theme-related exmated for this year. As usual, hands-on achibitions borrowed from the National tivities and chemical demonstrations were Aeronautics & Space Administration. the most common events put on by local sections. Because of the timing of NCW, In North Carolina, where the Wright though, sections had a broad set of choicbrothers' first flight actually took place, es for their activities; many sections held chemists were also busy The North CarMole Day (Oct. 23) and Halloweenolina Section worked with the North Carthemed activities as part of NCW. olina Museum of Natural Sciences to put on "Chemistry Day," which attracted nearOhio sections were particularly enthuly 2,000 visitors and featured interactive siastic about the atmospheric theme—the activities, demonstrations, and informaWright brothers hailed from the state, tional booths on a variety of atmospheric which has nicknamed itself "the birthplace topics. The section also held demonstraof flight." More than 120 volunteers from tions every day during the 2003 North the Cincinnati Section and various area orCarolina State Fair. The Central North ganizations visited 4 0 local libraries, Carolina Section held a science demonschools, colleges, and museums. T h e stration show at the University of North Cincinnati Museum Center also hosted Carolina, Greensboro, on Sunday, Oct. 26. two days of hands-on activities—includStudent affiliates anchored activities at ing three passport stations for children— many locations around the country For exthat reached more than 800 students and ample, affiliates helped the Northern West parents. The Cleveland Section hosted Virginia Section with a chemistry magic hands-on demonstrations for elementary show at West Virginia University Particischool students at public libraries, a workpants learned, among other things, about shop for area science teachers, and an inchemiluminescence, liquid nitrogen, and formational session on Ohio connections hydrogen gas. And the Northwest to space programs. It also worked with the Louisiana Section held hands-on activities Northeastern Ohio Section to put on an and a magic show at the Sci-Port Discovevent at the Great Lakes Science Center on ery Center in Shreveport on Oct. 24, with Oct. 18 that attracted 1,300 visitors who help from student affiliates from Centewere able to play with static electricity and nary College and Louisiana State Univerlearned basic atmospheric chemistry, insity, Shreveport. cluding the answer to one of kids' favorite questions: "Why is the sky blue?" The Oklahoma Section's N C W demonIn addition, Ohio ACS sections celestrations were assisted by student affiliates HTTP://WWW.
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from Oklahoma Baptist University. In Utah, the Salt Lake Section put together a program of hands-on science activities at the Salt Lake City Public Library on Oct. 18 with help from volunteers at the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College. And student affiliates associated with the Southern Arizona Section performed a chemistry magic show on Oct. 18 at the University ofArizona. The section also put on a "Science into Magic" demonstration and a dinner speech titled "The Evolution of the Earth's Atmosphere through Geologic Time" on Oct. 23. South Florida-area student affiliates took N C W a step further: Barry University affiliates celebrated Mole Day, put together a display in the lobby of their science building, and held demonstrations at elementary schools throughout November. At Broward Community College, students held a science and health awareness fair and dedicated a ceramic mural periodic table placed in the student center. The South Florida Section also hosted a Family Day on Oct. 19 at Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Science & Technology
SLIMED! Mark Abraham gets up close and personal with "Super Slime" at the Great Lakes Science Center, put on by the Northeastern Ohio Section. The South Plains Section worked with Texas Tech University student affiliates and the city of Lubbock, Texas, to put on the "Great Chemical Balloonatics Caper": More than 600 balloons were launched, each carrying a postcard asking the finder to fill in the date and location found and mail the card back. The section also put on a "Rock 'n' Mole" demonstration program for Mole Day; participating high school students decorated their science classroom doors with information about the mole for prizes. C&EN
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ACS NEWS featuring both student and family exhibits, las/Fort Worth Section demonstrations, experiments, simulations, put on activities and an and presentations. Astronaut Millie Hughoutreach program with es-Fulford kicked off the event with a help from Occidental keynote address. Chemical Corp. Heading northwest, the Washington-IdaContinuing a long ho Border Section celebrated Mole Day trend of enthusiastic parwith a presentation titled "Success in Culticipation, the Puerto Ritural^llness" by Solo Greene, an education co Section held a numspecialist with the Environmental Restoraber of events on the tion & Waste Management Department of island that reached nearthe Nez Perce tribe. The Inland Northwest ly 3,000 people. WorkSection celebrated Mole Day with a celeing with seven local stubration at Gonzaga University, featuring a dent affiliate chapters, Rock 'n' Mole cake, and a demonstration the section conducted and display event at a downtown shopping chemical demonstraSCOUTING AHEAD One of many events held by the mall in Spokane, Wash. tions, a chemistry conPuerto Rico Section was a program for Boy Scouts to test, hands-on science acThe sun-baked Southern Nevada Secearn merit badges. tivities, lecture series, tion hosted three events: High school stupublic exhibits, visits to industry, and open dents and their teachers attended two 90Those efforts were just one example in houses. Other events included a chemistry minute demonstrations on the campus of a long tradition of active participation by demonstration fair using the ACS Kids & the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Texas local sections. The Brazosport SecChemistry program and a Boy and Girl on Oct. 24 the Community College of tion, for instance, once again visited area Scout chemistry patch program. Southern Nevada hosted a chemistry magfifth-graders, bringing hands-on activities ic show for 350 elementary school students. to nearly 2,000 students, including two Spanish-English bilingual classes. In addiIt may have been chillier in the Windy TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY to honor a tion, the section cosponsored a program City, but ACS volunteers there also had a late, great chemist, members of the Califor Girl Scouts called "Mad Scientists Fanfull slate. The Chicago Section held a large fornia Section and the Alpha Chi Sigma fratasy," in which area troops spent a half day one-day event on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the ternity at the University of California, Berkedoing hands-on experiments with women University of Illinois, Chicago, attracting ley, presented a tribute to nuclear chemist scientists and engineers. The Central Texas more than 1,200 students and 2 0 0 Glenn T. Seaborg during the UC BerkeleySection held ozone awareness programs, Oregon State football game on Oct. 4. adults—an N C W record for the section. Prior to the game, volunteers coordinated providing training and ground-level ozone The event featured a high school chempublic activities at a "FunZone." Nearby testing monitors to area high schools; at istry teacher workshop; four lectures on Sonoma State University also hosted handsmiddle and elementary schools, volunteers atmospheric topics of interest; ongoing held Celebrating Chemistry demonstrations on chemistry activities for the public. demonstrations; exhibits; and hands-on and activities. Student affiliates from the activities, including a "pH is pHun" proJust a hop away, the Santa Clara Valley University of Texas, Texas State UniversiSection also had a busy schedule ty, and Southwestern University helped for NCW. The section helped with the programs. with Eagle Flight at Hiller Aviation Museum, where pilots The Greater Houston Section worked take children for free rides in with Lyondell Chemical to hold a learning small planes; held events at sevfair on Oct. 25 at the University of St. eral area colleges; sponsored a Thomas, attracting about 500 schoollight show and a "Clouds of children and their parents. It featured Fire" demonstration at Minolhands-on experiments, a Space Center ta Planetarium, DeAnza ColHouston display, chemistry demonstralege, Cupertino, Calif; brought tions, and a poster contest. Taking a Haltogether six scientists from loween tack, the Heart O' Texas Section NASA's Ames Research Center reached 1,000 people with two days of to talk to the public about their "Things That Go Boom and Bang in the research; and held an annual Night" demonstrations that involved conteacher workshop. In Oregon, trolled fires, explosions, and glow-in-thethe Portland Section held two dark reactions. And the South Texas Secweekends of demonstrations at tion performed chemistry demonstrations the Oregon Museum of Science at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & Industry, dealing mostly with & History. The nearby student affiliates at the science of the atmosphere. Texas A&M, Kingsville, decorated a camThe Idaho Section partnered pus building with an atmospheric chemwith the Idaho National Engi- KIDS AT HEART High school students conduct istry theme, held a poster contest for eleneering & Environmental Lab- hands-on activities with children during the mentary schools, performed a public oratory to put on the INEEL Michigan State University Section's "Chemistry chemistry demonstration, and participatScience & Engineering Expo, Day" event. ed in beautification projects. The Dal44
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gram exploring the acidity of various household materials. The event was capped by a grand finale, a Halloween-themed program of fun—and noisy—chemical demonstrations. There were plenty of activities elsewhere in the Midwest. The Illinois-Iowa Section, for example, held various sessions, including hands-on activities, demonstrations, poster contests, and assemblies, at seven different sites, reaching a total of 1,700 people in the region. Cams Chemical helped thejoliet Section with junior-high class visits and other events. The Indiana Section worked with the Children's Museum of Indianapolis for the 12th straight year, holding an N C W celebration event that featured a record number of volunteers. Approximately 2,600 visitors stopped by a high school chemistry competition, work-
journeyed to the Experimental Aviation Association Museum in Oshkosh to present a program of activities related to flight, atmospheric chemistry, materials composition, and other topics. Kids could make slime and participate in other activities. A hands-on activity program at Cranbrook Institute of Science on Oct. 19 put on by the Detroit Section attracted 350 visitors; the University of Detroit, Mercy, Student Affiliates Chapter held two chemistry magic shows during the event and another for Detroit Science Center's "Spooky Sunday" on Oct. 26. Not too far away, the Huron Valley Section helped support "Saturday at the Lab," which featured numerous science demonstrations in conjunction with Family Day at Eastern Michigan University The three-hour event had 1,400 visitors—mostly young children—a section record. The La CrosseWinona Section organized, in cooperation with Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a hands-on atmospheric chemistry program for selected high school students and teachers. Participants performed experiments and analyzed environmental trends, and the best reports were given awards at the subsequent pizza party
Also close by was the Michigan State UniverARTISTS' TOUCH Children at the West Shore Mall sity Section, which held in Holland, Mich., work hard on chemistry posters for its 16th annual "Chemistry Day" event, featurthe Western Michigan Section's poster contest. ing demonstrations and hands-on activities, at Impression 5 Science shops, boomerang demonstrations, and 11 Center, a local museum. The MSU chemdifferent activity stations. istry department joined forces with local The Indiana-Kentucky Border Section high schools and ACS volunteers to bring held events at the Evansville Boys & Girls 30 tables of activities to more than 650 Boy Club and for a local Girl Scout troop, as and Girl Scouts and 200 additional chilwell as hosting hands-on experiments and dren. The Kalamazoo Section continued demonstrations to watch at the Evansville its tradition of holding a hands-on program; Museum, the University of Southern Inthis year, it focused on atmospheric science diana, and Washington Square Mall. And and general chemistry The program was the Southern Indiana Section took to the held at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum on campus of Indiana University, BloomingNov 8, with more than 20 interactive exton, to put on an event on Oct. 25. In adperiments. The event generally draws 1,000 dition to a "Wonders of Chemistry" magor more visitors each year. ic show, attendees could try hands-on activities such as building volcanoes, exIt was an early start for the East Central ploring the effects of acid rain, making pop Illinois Section's N C W activities; on Sept. rockets, and freezing bubbles. 15, seventh-grade students visited the IlliThe Minnesota Section gave talks about nois State Water Survey to learn about waliving and working in space, showed the ter chemistry. Other events included the movie 'Apollo 13," and offered demonstra35th annual Illinois Science Teachers Astions at local community colleges and high sociation meeting in Peoria; chemistry schools. The Northeast Wisconsin Section demonstrations at local elementary HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
schools; and the Rock 'n' Mole contest, which celebrated Mole Day and challenged students to create combined chemistry/art projects. And the Kansas City Section performed atmosphere-related demonstrations at four local elementary schools, organized an elementary school poster contest, held a four-hour "Pumpkin Patch" outreach program at Park University, and visited a local mall on Halloween. In Philadelphia, volunteers took a service bent: The city's local section helped form a Philadelphia Care Day Team that headed out to public schools and painted classrooms, fixed up playgrounds, and planted gardens. The section hosted a graduate school forum, organized visits to area schools to discuss chemistry careers and perform demonstrations, and put on an "Expand Your Horizons" miniconference to encourage sixth grade girls to pursue science and mathematics. The Pittsburgh Section held one of the largest N C W events, a two-day affair at the Carnegie Science Center that was attended by more than 5,000 people, with support from Bayer. At the event, area businesses, professional societies, high schools, and colleges and universities performed demonstrations and shows at more than 25 tables. The section provided admission to 1,300 inner-city students from schools with predominantly minority enrollment and sponsored a separate "Scout's Night Out" for Girl Scout troops from economically disadvantaged areas. FARTHER EAST, the Delaware Section held its eighth consecutive Science Teacher Appreciation Night; a Kids & Chemistry program for elementary school students; and a chemistry open house at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, which featured hands-on activities, talks, and space program videos. And the Upper Ohio Valley Section put up a special exhibit on Nov. 1
FANNING THE FLAMES Al Hazari demonstrates the explosive effects of oxygen to attendees of an East Tennessee Section magic show. C&EN
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ACS NEWS at the Grand Central Mall in Vienna, W V More than 2 0 0 people stopped by the booth for demonstrations and hands-on activities. It was a little colder for the two events put on by the Northeastern Section for NCW: a lecture by University of Wisconsin's Bassam Shakhashiri with demonstrations and activities at Wellesley College and a symposium titled "What's in the Air? Atmospheric Chemistry in the 21st Century" at Massachusetts Institute of Technology The North Jersey Section held two days of hands-on activities, featuring about 60 tables revealing aspects of atmospheric and space chemistry, with support from Infmeum. And the Princeton Section held its fourth N C W open house, where 2 0 0 visitors watched demonstrations and presentations and tried out activities. The attendees were mostly children accompanied by parents or teachers. The Erie Section helped put on a lecture titled "Chemistry Imagined" by Nobel Laureate and Cornell chemistry professor Roald Hoffmann, presented four local meteorologists with Salutes to Excellence awards, and held demonstrations for area students at the Millcreek Mall with the support of student affiliate volunteers. A host of activities anchored the Middle Georgia Section's N C W efforts, which included visits to a number of area elementary schools, cookie and cupcake sales, lectures, a Mole Day contest, a chemistry magic show, a college student barbecue, and a large mall demonstration. Farther up the coast, the South Carolina Section put on a day of activities on Oct. 25 in association with the Low-
CHILLIN' Visitors to the Puget Sound Local Section's program of hands-on activities learned firsthand about liquid nitrogen. 46
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country Hall of Science & Math at the College of Charleston and the Charleston County Public Library. The event featured a number of hands-on activities revolving around flight and atmospheric chemistry and a magic show finale. It was coordinated with the monthly meeting of the College of Charleston's Gear Up program, which prepares seventh- and eighth-graders to complete college. The Baton Rouge Section had a big draw—between 8 0 0 and 9 0 0 people, most of them children—for its Super Science Saturday (Oct. 18). At the Louisiana State University Field House, volunteers from 10 organizations performed handson demonstrations; there was also a display of nonpolluting vehicles. In addition, the section held classroom visits, a seminar on the ozone layer, and an information reception for local teachers. A LARGE EVENT at Adventure Science Center was the centerpiece of the Nashville Section's efforts; it featured guest speakers talking about radar, weather prediction, and the effect of gases in the atmosphere; a weather balloon; science demonstrations and hands-on activities; guest professors and chemists; and information for schoolteachers. Working with the Lexington Section, David Fraley, an associate professor at Georgetown College, in Kentucky, had an audience of 1,200 students, parents, and alumni for his chemistry demonstrations during the school's Songfest Homecoming event. T h e Mid-Hudson Section was also busy putting on a badge day for Girl Scouts; a college chemistryJeopardy tournament; a chemistry magic show; various family-night programs; and its largest event ever, a family experience complete with demonstrations, lectures on space flight and the atmosphere, and "Mad Science" activities. The Richland Section put on a wine and cheese reception followed by a lecture titled "Astrochemistry: The Evolution of Organic Molecules in Interstellar Clouds" on Oct. 8. They also celebrated Mole Day and helped the Hanford Technical Library demonstrate how to search the Internet for chemistry resources. And the Puget Sound Section held demonstrations at Evergreen State College on Oct. 18. National Chemistry Week is a busy time for ACS; the activities described here are just a small fraction of the efforts undertaken by numerous volunteers from ACS local sections to educate, inform, and entertain the public with chemistry.
TUBE TIME Southern University chemistry students perform demonstrations for visitors of the Baton Rouge Section's Super Science Saturday. Thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars go into planning and coordinating the nationwide events. Shirley Ford of the ACS Office of Community Activities thinks all that hard work paid off. "The enthusiasm generated in support of NCW, the magnitude of industrial support, and feedback from local sections all indicate that this was one of the most successful N C W s ever," she says. But her office isn't resting on its laurels; they are already knee-deep in planning next year's N C W , which has the theme of "Health and Wellness." •
COMMENT continued from page 40 of 161,000. Participating in LAN is the simplest way to communicate with your legislators on issues relevant to you and your profession. The process takes just a few minutes of your time —time well spent. We were shortsighted in reducing the Office of Legislative & Government Affairs budget for 2003. This had to affect our ability to communicate with legislators and our own members. This should be reversed! Speak out—sign up for LAN to take responsibility for and to participate in decisions on science research and education. To all of you, thanks for your kindness and support. For me, this is not an ending, but a new beginning! And thank you, Judith, for being there with me! A happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to all! • HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
