Countywide : Volcano Goes Over Big at Annual Science Fair

“Erupts Approx. Every Seven Minutes” read the hand-lettered sign in front of Mount St. Helens. Rhythmically, the red plastic (molten lava) began to alternately glow and dim and lights began flashing in the volcano’s core until the mountain (when a fan mounted below strips of red plastic turned on) blew.

“Oh wow!” Brent DeVries, 6, exclaimed. “I really like that one because of all the noise it makes,” he said.

Brent, his sister, Heidi, 9, and mother, Mary, of Orange, were visiting the 30th annual Orange County Science and Engineering Fair at Cal State Fullerton on Friday afternoon, where 300 students from grades seven through 12 had entered projects that were judged by prominent county scientists and engineers.

“I’m going to go home and make a flying cereal box,” Brent said, excited by the unique displays and demonstrations that packed the University Center.

“What are the Effects of Potassium Iodide and Thyroxine on the Metamorphosis of Tadpoles?,” “Fungus Among Us,” “Analysis of Student Allowances” and “Do Colors Affect Marine Growth?” were just a few of the projects displayed at this year’s fair.

The winner for the 1985 sweepstakes award-senior division was Kenneth Hayashida, a senior at Los Alamitos High School. Hayashida’s project, entered in the earth and space science category, analyzed whether the use of nitinol, a paramagnetic alloy of nickel and titanium, in space would be cost-effective. He received a cash award of $100 and was presented a medallion at Friday night’s award presentation.

Scott Suzuki, of Circle View Junior High School in Huntington Beach, won the 1985 sweepstakes prize-junior division for his analysis of city winds and how skyscrapers affect wind patterns.

The fair, open each year to all Orange County public and private school students, has 12 project categories ranging from botany to zoology. Trophies, medallions and cash awards were presented to the first-place winners in each category.