Avogadro gets his day (and stamp)

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South celebrates a basic chemistry measuring unit

By: Milly Petrilla
   Come Monday, 6.02 x 10¯° will be more than just a basic measuring unit that every kid who ever took a chemistry class had to learn.
   At West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, it will also serve as a commemorative cancellation stamp in honor of National Mole Day, a worldwide celebration of Avogadro’s Number — the number of molecules in a mole, or one gram-molecular weight — that takes place from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. annually on Oct. (you guessed it) 23.
   Andrew Boyajian, a substitute teacher in the district and retired postal worker, developed the idea and conceived the design for a cancellation stamp to commemorate the offbeat holiday, according to High School South Principal Charles Rudnick.
   The cancellation stamp — which features a picture of a mole and reads "High School South" — will be available Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the high school gallery.
   Both students and residents are invited to bring in self-addressed, stamped, sealed No. 10 business envelopes, which representatives from the U.S. Postal Service will then mark with the cancellation stamp and mail to the addressees.
   "I think it’s a unique opportunity to celebrate this day in a school setting, and a unique opportunity for the surrounding community to get involved in the schools in an unusual way," Mr. Rudnick said.
   According to the National Mole Day Foundation, the day was "created as a way to foster interest in chemistry." Though Mr. Rudnick said various celebrations are likely planned in high schools throughout the country, he added, "I doubt very much if they’ve gone to the extent of connecting with the post office and memorializing the day with a cancellation mark."