()8 ), \ C\IIF.\I IC~ Harding's national chemistry club, the Gedanken Society, joined the 2016 T inkerrest on Sept. 1 7. The event was hosted by the Museum of Disco\'ery in Little Rock, Arkan as. Tinkerfest was an event designed to engage people in both science and tinkering - the process of adjusting an experiment. The e,·ent was set up with different booths in the museum and the surrounding streets, v,·ith the goal to engage children and adults in tinkering, while teaching them how everyday objects worked. Dr. Edmond \ \'ilson, professor of chemistry and sponsor of the Gedanken Society, and senior Alexa Escobar Pastot~ Gedanken Society's stuclent president, were in charge of Harding's invol\'ement in Tinkerfest. "There were se,·en people rrom Harding's science department who went to Tinkerfest to \'Olunteer,'' Pastor said. "They needed \'Olunteers to help run the event and it has to do with chemistry. and we wanted to help teach chemistry to kids." The H arding volunteers were in charge of' working three different booths. Each one was themed alter chromatography --- the separation or chemicals. T hey did thi~ by assisting BJ• Tijfm~y Metts kids in easy and firn experiments that they could do at home. ·'We assisted in three [events]:photoreactive papet~Sharpie tie-dye and microscope art," \ Vilson said. Harding \'Olunteers were assigned to specific booths and they wanted to make sure that the kids attending learned a lot and had fun while doing so. Senior Patricia Rivera, member of the Gedanken Society, assisted in the day's activities. She said it was her first time to attend the event and she enjoyed getting to teach children about chemistry in a non-classroom setting. "It relt great being able to teach little kids and getting to expose them to science before they get into schools ,,vith lectures," Rivera said. Rivera said she loved the experience of working at Tinkerfest, and \'Olumeering was a highlight of her college career. ·'Being pan of the whole thing was great and I'm so glad I went," Rivera said. "I loved getting to teach all the little kids about our experiments we had at our booths. \Ve just wauted kids to think that science is cool and not boring.'' This was Harding's second year to volunteer at Tinkerfest and they hoped to make it a yearly tradition for Harding staff and students within the science department. !)enior Brillane Sc/wake explains to a child how to put together the ne.1t J1iece of her e.1perime11/ 011 Sept. J 7, at Tinkerfest. The students spe11/ the da_y e1plai11ing the makeup of the periodic ellmenls through science nj,eriements. \ Photo courtesy of Edmo11d ll'ilson Sophomore John Rich shou::s two sisters hou: to add color to their n,be1ime11t 011. cpl. 17. at Tinkerfes/ in Little Rock, Arkansas. The project combi11ed alcohol a11d Sharpies to create a11 e1plosio11 of color. \ Photo co11rtes_r of Edmond IV'ilson So,bhomore John Rich; seniors Briilane Scii.aake, Alna Escobar Pas/or, .·l she(r Blackstock, and Patty Rivera; Dr. Edmond Wilson and junior Xicolr LaC111a of the Gedanken Socie(y participate in Tinke,:fest at the .\Jus·eum of Discove1y in Little Rock. Arkansas, on Sept. I 7. The Cedanken Socie(v was a11 organiz_ation of rhemist,y 1t11de11b 11eatul to proride felLowship and enhance Jnofessional development among studmt.1. \ Photo ~v Photographer
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