Margaret H's Day On

At exactly 12:25 I excused myself from class. I did a quick costume change into fancy clothes for the Montgomery County Science Research Competition and headed out to the vans. As we filed into the van, all I could think about was the forty minute ride to Ursinus Collage. As I entered the building, a nervous energy hit me like a piercing wind. This was the moment that I had been preparing for. All

Margaret's 8th grade science class helped prepare her for MCSRC.

my hours spent on Science Fair might actually mean something after today. But with that being said, the only way I could have an outcome from my work is if I play my cards right until the very end. This meant staying calm and following the directions I was given.

As I made my way past various projects, I began to feel uneasy and found myself doubting whether I even have a chance looking at all of the other boards. But as I make it to my station I begin to feel more at ease, the pictures and graphs gave me a calming sense of familiarity in this crazy place full of bustling students. Then, when I was done with the finishing touches I started to observe the people around me. On my right, there was a girl who did a fascinating project on the durability of nail polish. To my left, there was a boy who seemed to be in deep conversation with his left-hand neighbor. So with four hours to go and not much to do, I struck up a conversation with the girl to my right.

Students' various projects on display inside Ursinus College's Floy Lewis Field House.

It wasn’t long before that judges began to wander around listening to everyone’s projects. When they finally made it to me, I stood up and shook all their hands, told them my name, then started on my monologue about my project. My experiment was in the category of chemistry. The purpose was to determine what brand of yeast and what type of sweetener affected the rising of dough the most. This speech went on for about three to five minutes and then questions ensued. The questions asked ranged from the chemical make up of honey to which bread tasted the best. The judging was done quite strategically. There were two groups of three judges who I believe talked to every chemistry project in my row. Then if they liked your project, there were more judges who came around and talked to you about your project. I received interest from one group of judges and two judges who were working alone. As the judges were finishing up they handed out pamphlets with everyone’s name, school, project number, and information about where to see the results from judging. Then we cleaned up, grabbed all of our project pieces, and headed home. Well, not quite.

That evening the entire 8th grade had an introductory meeting to attend for our transition to the Upper School. My mom picked me up from Ursinus, which I was quite thankful for.  We went home where I had another quick costume change, ate a little dinner, and then headed back to GA. When I arrived, I found my friends and we all piled into our seats as the meeting began. Despite my tired state, the presentation by various members of the Upper School community made me quite excited about my journey ahead. Learning about all the classes, clubs, and activities I could participate in made me want to leave the 8^th grade immediately. But apparently, that is against the rules so I’ll have to finish this year. As the meeting came to a close, I found myself using my friend’s shoulder as a nice place to rest. Soon everyone had all filed out of the Honickman Auditorium and headed to their cars. As we walked to the car, I couldn’t help but talk my mothers ear off with things I wanted to do in Upper School but as soon as we made it home I was definitely ready to sleep after a long day.

~ Margaret H. ‘19

Margaret will move from the Alter Middle School (l) to the McNeil Upper School (r) with her classmates in September.