By: Lance Lawton
Photo Credits: Diane Holtz
In 1982, Thomas Dolby claimed,“she blinded me with science!” In 2019, visitors from the surrounding region experienced much more as they walked into Super Science Saturday.
Super Science Saturday is a one-day event in which Remington and Agenstein Halls are turned into one big science museum. It is also a fundraiser for St. Joseph Museums, Inc., which has 18 museums all located within St. Joseph. With multiple volunteers from Western, local schools and even the KQ2 weather team, there were several demonstrations, experiments and activities to explore throughout the three levels of the building.
Western Chemistry Professor Dr. Jonathan Rhoad said that the science department on campus loves to help during the event.
“We love to show off science,” Rhoad said. “This event is an exciting time for us, not only for us to demonstrate our skills and love for science to the public, but it’s also for a worthy cause.”
Super Science Saturday did not just feature activities from one or two science departments; instead, they boasted almost all types of science from psychology to biology, astronomy to archaeology, meteorology to chemistry and much more. Visitors were able to dig for fossils, learn how a battery works, watch planetarium shows, create their own slime and other entertainment.
Junior wildlife conservation and management major Kaitlyn Atkins said that volunteering with the Wildlife Society at Super Science Saturday was very enjoyable, as she was able to help kids learn more about science.
“I like watching the kids faces when they walk into the room,” Atkins said. “It’s that little spark you see when they learn something new. It’s really cool to see that.”
While this one-day event lasted around four hours, Alchemist Club President Merle Phillips is proud of the number of visitors that Super Science Saturday attracted.
“I feel like this year we did a really great job of communicating this event to not only the St. Joseph area but also the Kansas City metro,” Phillips said. “Someone told me that we hit around 1,100 people before noon. If that’s correct, then we already have doubled last year’s numbers.”
Although Super Science Saturday has ended, people from all over the region are already excited for next year’s science spectacle.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm1S5APLqpg&t=1s
