Astronomy Club is something I have been involved with on Winona State’s campus for two years. Astronomy is a fascinating science because there is so much about space that we don’t know. Is there life outside of our universe? I believe it and there’s even a fictional equation that depicts this outcome (Thanks Drake Equation). Anyway, one of the events the Astronomy Club participates in is Elementary Science Fun Night. The club combined with the geology and physics club goes to an elementary school and teaches little kids about science.

It’s one of my favorite events to participate in! I got the “Electric City” station that shows how Static Electricity works. The machine is called an Electrostatic generator. It works when you turn it on and turn up the speed of the conveyor belt. It generates energy that travels to me when I put my hands on the globe. My hair will come up from the energy. Kids absolutely loved it! They would come and touch my arm and get a shock. Then other kids would come and get shocked as well. Being shocked doesn’t necessarily hurt, it’s just a weird feeling.

Many physics professors help out with this event too and they always bring liquid nitrogen. Liquid Nitrogen can also be used to make ice cream which I ate a lot of. It’s always entertaining to put a bouncy ball in Liquid Nitrogen and then drop it on the floor so it shatters. Kids are astounded by this every time.

Teaching kids science is rewarding. Their laughter is contagious as they run around the gymnasium checking out all the experiments. It’s events like these that make me want to have children so I can bring them to the science museum or help them with their science projects. It also makes me miss being a biology major and taking science courses. Then I realize, Exercise Science is really where I’m meant to be. I had a fantastic Friday and my weekend will only get better.