LAWRENCE: Students present exhibits at science fair

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   ”The more something costs, the better it is. That’s what I hear a lot,” said Shaan Virdee.
   But is it true? Shaan and his friend, Rohan Dash, decided to find out for themselves — using a variety of toilet paper brands, some water and a bunch of pennies.
   The Lawrence Intermediate School 4th-graders put a sheet of toilet paper over a cup, squirted four drops of water from a syringe on the toilet paper, and then put one penny after another on the toilet paper until it gave way.
   The results? Charmin Ultra 2-ply toilet paper may cost the most, but it also holds the most pennies. The loser? One-ply Scott toilet paper, which costs less, but could only support a couple of pennies.
   ”Our hypothesis was that Charmin Ultra was the most expensive and that it was the best. It’s not like wasting money (to buy the more expensive toilet paper),” Shaan said.
   Shaan and Rohan’s experiment was one of about 150 entries in the fourth annual Lawrence Science and Engineering Fair, which was held Saturday at the Lawrence Intermediate School on Eggerts Crossing Road. Students outlined their experiments —from question to hypothesis to methodology and results — on poster boards on display in the multipurpose room.
   The students were quizzed about their experiments by a panel of volunteer judges, who asked probing questions of the students, said Paul Lobben, a parent and one of several volunteer coordinators. Many of the judges have children who are enrolled in the school district.
   ”The judges asked them what they would do differently, if the experiment didn’t work. That’s a big part of science — problem, hypothesis, answer. When we set this out at the open house meeting (for the students), we stressed that they had to use the scientific method,” Mr. Lobben said.
   While the budding scientists were questioned about their entries Saturday afternoon, students from Lawrence High School, Rider University and The College of New Jersey set up hands-on experiments for children in the other half of the multipurpose room.
   The goal of the annual Lawrence Science and Engineering Fair is to instill a love of science in the children. They discover that science is fun, said Jessica Heller, who teaches in the gifted and talented program at Lawrence Intermediate School.
   ”(The fair) encourages the children to do simple scientific investigation. I think children like science more than any other academic subject. Science is a fun subject. It engages the mind,” Ms. Heller said, adding that students entered the science fair “on their own.”
   The fair also brings the community together — the 4th- through 8th-grade students, as well as high school and college students, and their parents, Ms. Heller said. The Lawrence High School STEM Academy students serve as role models for the younger children.
   ”Science is accessible to all people. You don’t have to be a Harvard graduate to love science,” Ms. Heller said.