SHS Science Fair Exceeds Expectations

The 13th Annual Science Fair was held February 1 in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium. Over 204 projects, involving 352 students, were submitted.

The fair was organized by Mary Clark, Science Department Chairperson, Christine McNamara, Diane Lucia, Dan Nazzaro, Nisha Pickett, Michael O’Reilly and Jerry Kelley.

Members from various community corporations, hospitals, universities, retired educators, city officials, science teachers within the district and members of the served as judges for the day. They communicated with students about their projects and projects findings.

The Awards Assembly was held on February 2 in the school’s auditorium. Clark congratulated all of students for their accomplishments. Housemasters John Skerritt and Steven Swensen, and David Presutto, announced the winners. Dr. Beth Smith, headmaster, awarded certificates, plaques and cash prizes.

Those projects receiving honorable mentions were:

• Composting with Radishes (Katherine Funes)
• Childhood Obesity in America: Are School Lunches Part of the Problem?  (Carley Maleri, Erisa Kamolli)
• How Does Humidity Affect the Rebound of a Baseball? (Austin Kothary; Brett Peterson)
• A Wave of Possibilities: A Study of Wave Particle Duality Theory (Elida Paiz)
• Cleaning the Spill by Eating its Fill (Ben Yambao, Chris Herlihy, Ryan Cyr)
• The Speed of Color (Samantha Rubio, Madison McCurdy)
•  Can’t Live Without Your Liver (Carliana Percivalle)
• Salty Spheres (Emily Apicerno)
• It’s Shocking (Rachel Najarian, Jessica Olavarria)

Third place winners were:

• Do You Remember? (Alison Scalenghe)
• Lighting Up with Luminol (Neel Swamy)
• Don’t Eat Your Veggies – Turn Them into Energy (Adam Zhitomi)
• What is the Fastest Way to Solve a Sudoku Puzzle (Michael Dellolio, Ryan Zuklie, Alex Wlcek)

Second place winners were:

• Tooth Decay (Matthew Minutolo)
• Return of the Germ (Thomas Ball)
• Fire Retardant Paint (Rachel Cataudella, Myles Hoponick, Alessandra Boisvert)
• Bass Attack (Gary Thompson Jr., Ryan Daiss).

Those entries which placed first were:

• How Radiation of Cell Phones Affects Cells (Caroline Steadham, Johnna Bakalar)
• Revolutionary Cancer Treatment: A Simulation of Nanocarriers Using Swarm Intelligence for Targeted Cancer Cells (Rigel Mahmood)
• Effects of Humidity on Music (Lauren Montagna, Alyssa Johnson)
• The Application of LT and 5-HTP in Serotonin Synthesis (Anna Maria Marini)

The following eight projects were overall winners and will participate in the Connecticut State Science Fair at Quinnipiac University in March:

• Fire Retardant Paint (Rachel Cataudella, Myles Hoponick, Alessandra Boisvert)
• What is the Fastest to Solve a Sudoku Puzzle? (Michael Dellolio, Ryan Zuklie, Alex Wlcek)
• Return of the Germ (Thomas Ball)
• Bass Attack (Gary Thompson Jr., Ryan Daiss)
• How Radiation of Cell Phones Affects Cells (Caroline Steadham, Johnna Bakalar, Syndey Carter)
• Effects of Humidity on Music (Lauren Montagna, Alyssa Johnson)
• The Application of LT and 5-HTP in Serotonin Synthesis (Anna Maria Marini)
• Revolutionary Cancer Treatment: A Simulation of Nanocarriers Using Swarm Intelligence for Targeted Cancer Cells (Rigel Mahmood).

Rigel Mahmood was congratulated for submitting the number one project in the Shelton High Science Fair that won the entire Fair. Over $1500 in prize money was awarded with monetary donations from Mayor Mark A. Lauretti and the Shelton High School PTSO.