Course Description

Science Research Program – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12


Full Year – Level H: Incoming freshman and sophomore students must apply for admission to this program in January of the prior academic year. Acceptance into the program will be based on a science teacher recommendation, a written essay, and excellent academic grades.


This is an ongoing program that is taken in conjunction with the student’s regular science course. There are several tiers to the program. During Year 1 students learn the components of scientific research including the scientific method and apply these concepts in various settings including designing and conducting an authentic science research project and communicating results by participation in at least one local science fair. Students also explore various applications of science topics through field trips, guest speakers and class projects. Advanced students (Years 2-4) select their science research topic, locate an out-of-school mentor (either in industry or at a local university) and compete in a variety of science fairs including the CT State Science Fair, Southern CT Invitational Science and Engineering Fair (SCSEF) and the CT Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (CT JSHS). Advanced students pursue their selected research in depth, perform statistical analysis and compete at a number of local and/or national science fairs and competitions. In Years 2, 3, and 4 students are grouped together in a non-traditional classroom setting and are required to meet individually outside of class with their Science Research Instructor biweekly to review individual goals and assess progress. All students participate in the culminating annual activity, Amity’s Science Symposium.


Monday, May 24, 2010

Our 4th Annual Science Symposium was an amazing success!

Discuss what your personal experience was preparing for and participating in the symposium. How did this compare to others in the past? If it was your first Amity Science Symposium, was it what you expected? Explain. Also, what contribution did you make towards helping the symposium run smoothly (set up, break down, food etc...). How many guests (that you invited) were able to come and what was their impression?

Prof. Christine Broadbridge discussed Nano and Materials Science. She defined terms, discussed current research and gave an overview of future possibilities in the field of nanoscience. What was your overall impression of the Keynote presentation? Did you enjoy the topic? Was it delivered at, above or below your understanding/ability? Why?

What did you think about the quality and diversity of student presentations and topics?

Lastly, list one thing you liked BEST about the symposium (be specific) and one IMPROVEMENT that you would like to see for next year.

Your BLOG post is due by the end of the class period on Wednesday May 26th.

44 comments:

  1. I had a faily good expienceat the science symposium. It ws well organized, thogh several studets were being somewhat disrespectful. Also, there was less time spent on presnting our own posters than I expected. Overall, however, it was fun experience.
    I contributed to the science fair by providing drinks. I also helped to break down the symposium afterwards. I brought one guest, and she was impressed with the keynote speaker and the student presenters.
    I highly enjoyed Dr. Broadbridge's presentation on nanoscience. It left me curious aout the future, even after the age of nanotechnology. Though some of the material wasabove my understanding ability because not all of it was in layman's terms, I got most of it and as interested.
    I thought that the student presentations were excellent. They were all on uique topics, and students knew their material.
    Finally, the thing I liked best about the symposium was the awesome food, and one improvement that I would suggest is t ban snapple bottles from the auditorium.

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  2. Preparation and participation for the symposium involved very little on my part. I only had to bring in two bags of chips, and not once during the presentation did anyone come see my poster. This symposium was not what I was expecting; I thought that there would be more free time for people to go around and look at posters. Instead, we were listening to speakers or presenters for the majority of time. I gave two bags of chips. My mom and dad thought that the symposium was an educational and enjoyable experience. Professor Broadridge's presentation was not as interesting as thought I it would be. The topic was interesting, however, the presentation itself was above my understanding. The quality of the student presenations were very high , and I enjoyed them thoroughly. The thing I best enjoyed about the symposium was the variety of foods. To improve the symposium, I suggest that there is more free time for guests to look around, like an actual science fair.

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  3. All in all, the Amity Science Research Symposium was a wonderful event. Preparation for the symposium was creative and entertaining as I got to cut out picutres for the "Pie Table." The symposium was not like I expected it would be. Before the symposium, I believed that it would be a waste of a night. But was I wrong! The symposium was a very educational and exciting event that was well put together and a great way to spend my night. Being a freshman, I contributed to the symposium by cleaning up the area after the event as well as bringing brownies for the guests at the symposium to eat. I invited my mother, my father, and my two sisters to the event, and to my luck, each one of them was able to attend. My mother and father very much enjoyed the guest speaker and the candy raffle, poster presentations, and food was appealing to my sisters.

    Our guest speaker, Christine Broadridge, talked about nanoscience. My overall impression of the Keynote speaker presentation was that it was a very education topic of study, however I feel that it might have been hard for some freshman and other guests to understand. Some facts were at my personal understanding ability, however, some was above my understanding ability due the fact that some of her research had to do with physics, and as a freshman, I have not taken physics yet. The topic, however, was very interesting and made me want to gain more knowledge in this field of study.

    The student presentations were very interesting. Every guest could see how the more simpler freshman project grow and develop into more scientific projects. The quality of every speakers' projects were well covered and the content of the projects were kept the audience focused and entertained.

    Not much can be improved about the symposium, as everything ran smoothly and efficiently. If I had to change one thing about the symposium, it would be banning Snapple bottles in the autotorium. As speakers were talking, numerous Snapple bottles hit the ground with a "clank" that disrupted the speakers. Also, to improve the symposium, I believe that 8th grade teacher should provide students with extra credit if they attended the symposium. This would attract more student to the symposium and persuade them to join the progam in their freshman year.

    One thing I really enjoyed about the symposium was the poster presentations in which adults and other guests could ask questions that they had about your specific research. During this time, students had time to present their posters and their research experience, as well as getting a bite to eat and socializing with friends and family.

    Truly, the 2010 Amity Science Research Symposium was a great success.

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  4. 2010's Amity Science Symposium was better than I expected. I presented my poster a few times, I brought Chocolate Chip cookies for my food project,Strawberry Rubarb Pie and a veggie platter. I invited my parents to come and both of them were able to make it. I thought the guest speaker, Prof. Christine Broadbridge, was over our heads and did not do a great job of defining the terms she used. My mom used to grow silicon at Yale thought so she enjoyed it and understood it because it was in her field. Overall, I was not impressed with her presentation. The student presentations, on the other hand, were very impressive. I thought it was interesting to note that the students who did well at competitions did experiments which effected people every day (biology, clean energy, medical). I thought the best part of the Symposium was the student presentations and the part that needed the most improvement was the guest speaker. Overall it was a successful symposium. talked to other students in the Science
    Dan Grober

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  5. Symposium was what I expected for the most part, but I was expecting all the students who weren't formally presenting our projects to have more time to speak with the guests about our projects. Although there was a short intermission between presentations, I think that a few students lost interest because they've seen the projects being presented so many times, and they became disrespectful. I helped set up a little bit, and I brought two cases of Razzberry Snapple. Only one of my guests was able to come, my father and he really enjoyed himself. He's an engenieer so he was interested in what the keynote speaker had to say. I enjoyed listening to the keynote speaker, but I think she went into further details about things we didn't really want to know about instead of focusing more on things that would keep the audience interested. I think the quality and diversity of the students projects presented ws very good. Each student did a great job presenting, and all the projects were on very different topics so it didn't get boring hearing about the same thing over and over. The part I liked best about the symposium was the food. The part I would improve would be the presentations. I would find a way to keep all the students interested and focused.

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  6. Jared Loewenthal said...
    The Amity Science symposium was just like I expected. I thought it would be a high level setting where students got to present their projects to any one interested. I contributed to bringing food in, presenting my poster to a couple of people, presenting my project in powerpoint form for all the people who came to the symposium, and helping to clean up. I invited my parents and they thought everyone did an excellent job at the symposium and were really impressed by the work that students put into their projects. The Keynote presentiation was very interesting and I really liked the topic that was presented. The presentation was a little above my level of understanding. I did not get how the particles of the material were so accuratlty aligned. The quality of other students' projects was great. I especially liked the other powerpoint presentatinons and their even more cutting edge research. A best of the symposium was that there was plenty of food. An improvement would be more time to look at posters.

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  7. 2010's Amity Science Symposium was better than I expected. I presented my poster a few times, I brought Chocolate Chip cookies for my food project,Strawberry Rubarb Pie and a veggie platter and talked to other students in the Science Reseacrch Program. I invited my parents to come and both of them were able to make it. I thought the guest speaker, Prof. Christine Broadbridge, was over our heads and did not do a great job of defining the terms she used. My mom used to grow silicon at Yale thought so she enjoyed it and understood it because it was in her field. Overall, I was not impressed with her presentation. The student presentations, on the other hand, were very impressive. I thought it was interesting to note that the students who did well at competitions did experiments which effected people every day (biology, clean energy, medical). I thought the best part of the Symposium was the student presentations and the part that needed the most improvement was the guest speaker. Overall it was a successful symposium.
    Dan Grober

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  8. Zhang Liu
    The science symposium was an enjoyable experience. The keynote speaker definitely captured my full attention and discussed some very interesting topics such as transistors and the applications of nanotechnology. Although I enjoyed her presentation, I felt that some of her discussions may have been advanced beyond those students who hadn’t taken physics classes.
    To prepare for the symposium, I contributed the black table cloths with a fellow classmate, baked brownies for my recipe project, and helped set up and break down the food table in the cafeteria. However none of my guests were able to come.
    Overall, the symposium was what I had expected it to be, but I feel that last year’s symposium was definitely better because it was more hands on, used models, and was more relatable to students. To improve the symposium, the time spent socializing with guests around our posters could be extended because I found it a good time to share ideas with experts in their fields and find possible mentors and the transitions between the auditorium and cafeteria could be better coordinated.

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  9. To me, preparation for the symposium was very little, due to my little involvement in preparations. All I did was dressed up nicely, cooked my recipe project (which was thoroughly consumed), and brought in the materials I was signed up for. The participation was simple, and once arriving at the symposium, the jobs of most freshmen consisted of eating, waiting, and listening. My father came in, and being a pharmaceutical biologist, digested all the information in those fields, such as Yuqi’s experiment, pretty easily. My dad thought that the symposium was very interesting and would be happy to return next year. In general, I thought that the symposium ran as smooth as possible minus the Snapple bottles dropping all over the place.
    The keynotes speaker to me was too advanced. I did not understand the basis of her research, and due to the nature of her research, I was unable to comprehend most of the presentation. It also seemed that she just dragged on and on for certain slides. It seemed that background knowledge had to be present in order for the presentation to be vaguely interesting, or else it just seemed too complex for my understanding.
    The student presentations were overall high quality and very diverse. Each exemplified the complexity and intensity of this fine program, and kept the audience captivated in their year’s hard work. If the topic of the previous presentation becomes monotonous, the next one brought in a fresh, new idea.
    My favorite part of the symposium was the great food. There’s nothing like presenting your poster with a drink by your side and a satisfied stomach. However, I would also shorten the symposium because it seems the whole ceremony drags on.

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  10. Thomas Meehan
    This was my first symposium (other than the one I attended as a middle-schooler) It was pretty much what I expected, except there was A LOT of food. I was surprised that there weren’t that many people attending To contribute, I brought in my recipe project (Cookies) as well as some cheese cake and helped to break the symposium down. I also got to put the huge amount of cake left over in the teacher’s lounge. My mom was able to attend for most of the symposium.
    I was very impressed at how diverse and professional the student presentations were. Everybody had an excellent project and did a wonderful job at presenting them.
    One of the best things at the symposium was the food. All of it was good (especially the Snapple) and there was plenty of it for everyone. The problem is there was WAY too much food left over. Some stuff could be resealed and given back to students but lots had to be thrown out. My improvement is that we bring less food unless we know it will be eaten.

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  11. It was my first time at a science symposium and it was just as i thought. There was a good ammount of people but i also expected there to be more parents. The food was amazing and i loved the whoopie pies!! I did not however invite many people for i thought it would be embarrasing for me.
    I liked the presentation on NANO SCIENCE but it does not seem to be the thing i would want to do later in life. I did not understand most of it for it was too advanced for me.
    I do think the topics done were very diverse and covered lots of aspects and areas in science.
    One thing i would improve was the time of the presenters and length of the presentations.
    What i liked best... the food.

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  12. Tanay Lathia
    This was the first symposium that I participated in, but the second one that I have attended. So, this symposium was what I expected. I helped by bringing a blueberry pie and chocolate chip mufffins. Other than that, I helped very little with preparation. Both of my invited guests were able to attend and they were both impressed with the quality of research of the students in SRP.The keynote speaker was very knowledgable. While the topic she was presenting was very interesting, the material was over my head. This is because I have not studied the topic ever. The topics of the students presenters were very interesting because they were so diverse. They ranged from microbial fuel cells to alzheimers prevention. The best thing about the symposium was the food, and one improvement to the symposium would be to spend more time enjoying the food.

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  13. in my popinion the Science Symposium acomplished the goal of showcasing the program to the public.my personal experience was that i got to show people my progect, and got to look deeper into the progects of my peers.it was not what i expected. i would have liked more time to showcase my progect.I helped by bringing food, and i helped clean up. both my parents atended and ejoyed the syposium.ssed Nano and Materials Science.the Keynote presentation was well put together and engaging.the topic of nano thechnowledgy was particularly intresting.i understood everything.the topics were mostly music oriented and could hae been more creative.i liked the food. i would have preffered shorter and more concise presentations.

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  14. I was really excited for this year’s symposium. Prepping for it was very fun, making all of the posters and stapling booklets together. It all just added to all of the anticipation. This was my first symposium, and I have to say, it was very fun. The food was delicious. I myself brought in a French silk pie and my recipe project, which was a Bundt cake. There were chips, veggie dip, rolls, a huge cake, and a table full of pie. All of the food was amazing, especially the pie table, with all of the mouthwatering pies. The presentations in the cafeteria ran pretty smoothly and I think everyone enjoyed it with the great food and all. Prof. Christine Broadbridge gave a great presentation on nano and materials science. My overall impression of her presentation was great, I really enjoyed the topic and it made me curious on the technology of the future. However, most of it was delivered above my understanding. This is mainly because she used vocabulary that I did not know. The student presentations were really good. I especially like Joanie’s. It caught my attention with something I could relate to and she presented it with vocabulary that was not too difficult to understand. The thing that I liked the best about the symposium was the food and the reception. The food was great, and it was fun hanging out with fellow science research students to talk about different scientific topics with great food.

    Andrew Chen

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  15. Satish Bhat

    This Science Research Symposium was a huge success and I had a great time at it. This was the first symposium that I took part in, but at the end of last year I had attended as an incoming student. Overall, the experience was great and entertaining. Because I had come in as one of the first people, I had helped to set up some of the tablecloths. Then, I had also brought Rice Krispie Treats and I had brought my recipe project. The guests that had come had a great time. I had invited my mom, but she was only able to come to the second half during the student presentations. My mom thought it was extremely interesting and that our program was on the cutting edge of science. When we had returned home , she had told me how she thought that all of the students had done some amazing research and how they did a great job.
    The keynote speaker, Professor Christine Broadbridge, discussed an interesting topic; Nano and Material Science. She had helped make all of the students there understand the topic better by defining terms and discussing her research in the field. The topic that she delivered was a little bit above the understanding of some students. Her PowerPoint was hard to follow, but the way that she explained it had made it easier and she had expanded on her thoughts. The diversity of the student presentations was amazing. They ranged from extracting microbial fuel cells from different types of Apples to Facebook and social networking preventing Alzheimer’s.
    The best thing about the Symposium was the smoothness and the presentations. Overall, the Symposium went well and there were not many noticeable flaws. I believe that all guests had a good time and learnt more about the program. One thing that needs improvement is the Snapple bottles. It didn’t look good for us and it was disrespectful to the speaker. It was noted on all of the doors to not bring food or drink, but some students didn’t listen. The symposium was a great experience.

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  16. Preparing for the symposium was very stressful toward the beginning, but once we got through all of the major obstacles, it was easier and more fun. The symposium was not like I expected it would be. It was a lot more fun and laid back than I thought that it would be. I thought that it would be very formal and we wouldn’t really be able to talk to each other or have fun. But, once it started, I was surprised that it was very relaxed and we could talk to each other and have fun even while presenting. I helped set up and organize a lot of the food going onto the tables, and I helped clean up the symposium area in the cafeteria when the whole thing was over. I also brought in 24 cans of iced tea to help with bringing in food. I was only able to bring in one other guest, but their impression of the symposium was very positive. They thought that it was very professional and that it was well planned out. They also liked all the presentations in the auditorium including the keynote speaker.
    The beginning of the keynote presentation was very good. She explained nanoscience very well and kept me very entertained. But, toward the latter half of the presentation, it got a little boring. I got very lost as to the topic and what exactly she was talking about. But, the overall presentation and topic was very interesting. But, at some points, it was a little difficult to understand.
    The student presentations were very interesting and covered many different categories. I think there were a perfect amount of student presenters and they all had very interesting presentations. Overall, I think the student presentations could not have been better.
    Overall, the thing I liked best about the symposium was the beginning half hour when we were in the cafeteria. It was very fun, laid back, we got to present, and there was abundant food. If there was to be an improvement to be made for next year, it would probably be to shorten the speeches made at the beginning of the auditorium sessions. They were a little bit too long and got boring after a while.

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  17. The science symposium was a lot of fun and better than I expected. I brought my recipe project (chocolate chip cookie bars) and fruit salad. My Mom, Dad, brother attended. I really enjoyed the first half hour of eating and presenting. In the future I would have more time for this because it seemed rushed. Then we moved into the auditorium. Ms. Day’s speech was thoughtful and from the heart. I liked how the juniors wrote a few sentences about the graduating seniors. They were very sincere and some funny. However, during the event I thought some students were being disrespectful (Snapple bottles, iPods, talking). They keynote speaker, Prof. Broadbridge, gave a very interesting presentation of nano science. I thought it was cool that they were trying to fit all the information in the Encyclopedia Britannica on something the size of a pin head. However, I did not understand most of the presentation, either did my parents. Next year I think it would be better to bypass a keynote speaker. The night should be focused on the students at Amity not other scientists. The student presenters did a great job and they put a lot of hard work and preparation into it. My favorite was Joan Kim. She was extremely enthusiastic. I thought her project was easy for everyone to understand and her results were amazing. Afterwards all year one students had to clean up. Overall my experience at the symposium was a positive one.

    -- Melissa Viezel

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  18. The Science Research Symposium was quite an interesting experience. It was fun setting up for the symposium. I brought a case of water and a box of bakery goods because I forgot my recipe project. I helped set up for the symposium. None of my parents were able to come to the symposium. I was the only one I invited to this event, and I attended. Overall, I thought that the keynote speaker’s presentation was a bit to lengthy. She should have condensed it more. Also, she talked about many specifics when she should have talked about the general things. Most of her presentation was above my understadability. The presentations of the people were interesting, but we have already seen all of them before so it was not as interesting as it would have been if we did not know their projects. The best thing I liked about the symposium was the food. It was great. One improvement could be to prep the students on exactly how the symposium would be so it will not be so different than their expectations.
    Shahryar Ahmed

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  19. The Science Symposium was great! I had lots of fun! The Symposium showed me all the projects made by the students. It was cool to see all the projects and learn about what the people in the program researched. I haven’t been to a Symposium before. This Symposium was not what I expected. The time we had to present was shorter than I thought. And there was a lot less people the room was not filled. Especially the auditorium there was a lot more students then mentors or parents, so only the section with the students were filled. I contributed help to the clean up and I brought in the food I had to bring which was water. I invited both my parents and my sister. They all came to the Symposium. They thought it was very long. I liked the keynote presentation, although, it was very long. Also she said different things then were on the screen. That made it hard to fallow. Although, I enjoyed the topic and she made it easy to understand. I really likes all of the student projects, although, some of the numbers like the face book one there was a 2% error margin and the numbers were 3 apart. It wasn’t very convincing data. Although, it still was god she was very enthusiastic which drawled in the audience. The other presenters were good to except they weren’t as enthusiastic about their experiments. Lastly, the thing I liked best was the part where we heard the experiments from one student in each grade. They were all very good. The thing I think needs to be improved is the amount of gests we should get more people interested and tell them about it earlier so more people can come and enjoy the science at Amity.

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  20. The Science Symposium was great! I had lots of fun! The Symposium showed me all the projects made by the students. It was cool to see all the projects and learn about what the people in the program researched. I haven’t been to a Symposium before. This Symposium was not what I expected. The time we had to present was shorter than I thought. And there was a lot less people the room was not filled. Especially the auditorium there was a lot more students then mentors or parents, so only the section with the students were filled. I contributed help to the clean up and I brought in the food I had to bring which was water. I invited both my parents and my sister. They all came to the Symposium. They liked it but the thought it was very long. I liked the keynote presentation, although, it was very long. Also she said different things then were on the screen. That made it hard to fallow. Although, I enjoyed the topic and she made it easy to understand. I really likes all of the student projects, although, some of the numbers like the face book one there was a 2% error margin and the numbers were 3 apart. It wasn’t very convincing data. Although, it still was good she was very enthusiastic which drawled in the audience. The other presenters were good to except they weren’t as enthusiastic about their experiments. Lastly, the thing I liked best was the part where we heard the experiments from one student in each grade. They were all very good. The thing I think needs to be improved is the amount of gests we should get more people interested and tell them about it earlier so more people can come and enjoy the science at Amity.

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  21. I thought this was the best symposium so far. It was very smoothly run and seemed to be more enjoyable from a spectator's point of view than some of the longer ones we've had in the past. I thought Professor Broadbridge's presentation was interesting, although if i could make one change I would have focused more on one specific research project rather than the broad field. Still, it was very educational and informative. I personally helped set up the posters at the end of the school day and taped the freshmen's recipe projects to the ceiling. I also brought foodstuffs. I thought that having one emcee was an improvement, especially because he was such an exceptional speaker. I think that we could consider not having an outside guest speaker, but making the student presentations the keynote presentations, and maybe add a few more. That owuld keep the focus on our work which is where it should be.
    ~Dave S

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  22. I liked the streamlined schedule for this year's Symposium (i.e. much shorter). The food, as always, was wonderful, especially the pie table. Dr. Broadbridge's presentation was very interesting and enjoyable; I think it was delivered in a manner that was both scientific and understandable to the general audience. I thought the student presentations were similarly well delivered. My favorite part was Will Dixon's speech. One improvement that could be the the Symposium in future years would be to streamline the first half even more.

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  23. ^^^ That was me, btw.
    --Thomas M., Period 6

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  24. This year’s Science Symposium was wonderful! This year we started planning and working on the symposium much earlier which, I believe, was what allowed it to be more successful than past years. We made the mentor packets, programs, invitations, etc. much earlier which also allowed us to spread the word about the event. This year I helped set up, brought food, and helped put the mentor packets together. My dad, grandmother, neighbor, and his son, Shaunak, attended the symposium. Shaunak is going to be in the program next year. Thus he wanted to see the symposium and he and his father were both impressed by all of the students’ work. My family, as always, was impressed by all of the work as well. In my opinion Prof. Christine Broadbridge’s overall presentation was great. She delivered her presentation very well and it was really easy to understand. However, I enjoyed last year’s keynote speaker a bit more. Nanotechnology is an important topic that needs to be explored but robotics is much more interesting, at least to me. The student presentations were wonderful! Yuqi, Joanie, David, and Jared did very well. Each project was unique in its own way and the presenters did a wonderful job executing their topics. I was really impressed by Jared’s presentation. I would never have been able to come up with such an innovative project. In my opinion he explained his project wonderfully. This year’s symposium has to be the best out of all four. The best part of the symposium was that it was short and to the point. It was not very long yet we were able to convey everything about the program in that small amount of time. This year we also had a wonderful video to show everything that we do. Next year I think we should send out a lot more invitations. This year I was expecting the number of people attending to be very large because we have a lot of SRP students. I was disappointed by the number of people that attended. It would have been nice to see a lot more people there to support us. This year’s symposium, however, had to be the best of all.

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  25. This was my 4th symposium and I thought it went much better than the symposium from last year and maybe even two years ago. I participated through giving an oral presentation and bringing food. The senior class also pooled together to give Ms. Day end of the year presents. I also helped package the mentor packets and edited some of the program. During 6th and 7th period of Friday, I helped to set up in the cafeteria and in the auditorium. I brought 3 guests, my parents and my mentor and overall, I got a positive impression from them. They liked the fact that the symposium extracted the extraneous parts from last year and was much shorter.
    I thought the presentation was good but not too interesting. I got a little bored half way through because I felt that she went very broad with her presentation. She never pinpointed on what her current project was and I couldn’t relate to the presentation. She also said a lot of stuff that we already learned about nanotechnology so it was very repetitive. I thought an hour of presentations was very long; maybe they can be broken up next year with a break in between? But overall, the presentations were very good and well prepared. The topics were very diverse ranging from immunology to facebook. I was very impressed by Jared’s presentation and his project because my freshman project was not even close to the quality of his. He was also very confident and comfortable talking in front of the audience.
    Best thing: Time wise, it was mad shorter and went faster.
    Improvement: Breakup the underclassmen in where they sit so they can’t be as disruptive.

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  26. For the symposium, I brought a blueberry pie and helped with making the documentary clip. I think that this symposium was the best yet. I liked how we only had student presentations, awards, and the keynote speaker. It cut down on time spent in the auditorium and helped the overall quality of the event. I invited four guests (my family and my mentor) but my mentor did not come. He said he would but he must have forgotten. My family said it was the best symposium yet. I liked Prof. Christine Broadbridge’s presentation. I feel that her presentation was the best yet. I am interested in getting a minor in material science and found her presentation interesting. She did a good job defining terms and providing background information. I liked how student presentations involved a variety of scientific fields such as psychology, robotics, biology/electricity, and medicine. I liked the documentary clip the best. One improvement I would like to see for next year is to prepare the audio parts of the presentation the day before to fix the glitches that we may encounter.
    Justin B

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  27. This symposium was by far the best symposium we've had. IT flowed much better and much more quickly than the previous symposiums. There was less wasted time, and it also ended relatively on time. I contributed in the creation of program by helping make Professor Broadbridge's blurb, as well as helping format all of the abstracts and making a template for future abstracts. Furthermore, I assisted in set up on Per 6 Friday, and finally, I brought in Peach Pie. Alas, none of the people I invited could attend. I enjoyed the guest presentation and the topic at hand. Professor Broadbridge's presentation was not monotonous, not too long, and she used very easily understood language. The presentation made me really interested in the fields she delved into, such as quantum mechanics. I felt the student project were all of very high caliber, and each one was presented very well. I really liked Jared's presentation, as I felt it represented someone participating in fantastic research on a Freshman level. I feel the best thing about the symposium this year were the quality of the presentations--each one was high quality and very scientific. However, one major improvement needs to be the amount of presentations. There were just too many presentations back to back, and things droned on--maybe only have Sophomores and above present.

    -- Arian Jadbabaie

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  28. I thought the symposium went very, very well this year, possibly the best it has ever gone in the three years that I have been part of the program. First of all, the preparation for the symposium started much earlier this year than in other years; there was no rushing, frantic quality that defined other symposiums. I think it just took some practice to get it right.
    I also have to say that the duties of the symposium were divided pretty evenly. I remember last year, I didn’t even go home because there was too much to do, especially when it came to decorating the cafeteria. However, this year, I had comparatively little to do, and I think everyone definitely did their part. Conspicuously absent was the large amount of finger-pointing that went on last year, as some felt like others hadn’t done everything given to them. I have to say that everyone did what they were supposed to do, with even less accountability than last year. Overall, I was impressed by the organization and preparation before the symposium, and everyone played a part in some way or another.
    As for me, I compiled the awards list and was going to help organize the creation of the senior calendar, but the former duty eventually fell onto Ms. Day’s share. I also helped set up during class, and was going to stay after if necessary, but was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t have to because everyone had helped decorate the caf in a very efficient manner.
    I invited my mentor, but he wasn’t able to come, as he usually works in the late afternoon in his lab everyday. I think members of my family, who did come at different points in the symposium were favorable impressed by the brevity and efficiency of the symposium.
    Re: professor Broadbridge- I think that her presentation was perfect for the symposium. Obviously, the vast majority of us are not well-acquainted with nanoscience at all. Prof. Broadbridge’s presentation was a good combination of general information about the field itself, its applications, and finally, some research she was doing. I wish she would have given us more information on current research however, as for some parts I felt like it was a little too diluted. Prof. Broadbridge was very informative however, and spoke well.
    I also was impressed with the student presentations. With regards to time, everyone fell into the limits of their time frame. I was especially impressed with Jared Loewenthal. If he is reading this, please do not take this in the wrong light, but I have the general impression that he is a quiet and rather shy person. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised at his strong presentation on his project.
    I liked the senior presentations the best. They were somewhat spontaneous and largely heartfelt. They were funny and touching. I thought it was the perfect way to personally reach out and say goodbye to the seniors in the symposium setting.
    I think that we could improve on the student poster presentations. No one really came over and asked any student about their presentation. The large part of the symposium guests (including students) were over by the food, eating.

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  29. As per usual, I and a few other students ended up doing most of the work for the set-up of the Amity Science Symposium. Not only did I help with the set-up during my period six class period, I was also one of maybe four students, I believe, who stayed after school on Friday to set up. I brought two pies and meringues, too. Needless to say, my initial impressions of the symposium were not the most promising that they could have been. Fortunately, my initial impressions were quickly proved one hundred percent wrong. This year’s symposium was a rousing success, and a vast improvement over the last two I have attended. Only one of my invited guests was able to attend, but I’m glad that she did. I felt that the keynote speaker, Professor Broadbridge, was a very effective speaker who succinctly communicated her presentation very well, and kept me engaged and my attention focused throughout her presentation time. I found this topic to be surprisingly enjoyable, given that it is far from my usual fields of interest. This is likely because it was communicated so effectively that even though it went into more detail about nanotechnology than I have been used to hearing, it was still fully understandable. The student presentations, similarly, were overall effectively communicated and helped to demonstrate the diversity of topics that are studied and researched by members of this prestigious program. The part of the symposium that I enjoyed the absolute most was giving my speech about Ishan and his magnificence and glorious contributions to our esteemed team; although, it must be conceded that the film at the beginning was a close second. An absolutely necessary improvement is to in some way establish to certain members of this program that dropping glass bottles during other people’s presentations and disrupting the flow of the entire symposium does not fall under the category of acceptable and professional behavior.

    -Gregory Loscalzo

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  30. Of the four symposiums I have attended, I thought that this one was the best (and most sentimental). It wasn't too long and it ran smoothly. The food was delicious and people seemed to really enjoy the wraps. Maybe next year it would be good to have more of the wraps and not as many pies. For the symposium, I made the photo slideshow and brought a pie. None of the people I invited were able to come, but my parents really wished they could have come to see my last symposium.

    Prof. Christine Broadbridge was a great speaker for this event. Her presentation wasn't too long and she was very comfortable in front of the audience. I thought she communicated complicated ideas very clearly and I liked that she discussed how things change depending on your perspective of them.

    I wasn't able to stay for oral presentations, but I thought the posters were varied and well-done. My favorite part of the night, I must admit, was the senior appreciation. It was very moving and a sentimental closing to our four years in the program. I also loved opening the night with the documentary. I already mentioned that for next year we should have more wraps and less pies.

    Laura v.D.

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  31. Emily needs to learn to be laconic.

    Thomas could definitely stand to improve on his sesquipedalian loquaciousness, as he seems at initial observation to be in a certain degree of lacking in the category of sesquipedalian loquaciousness.

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  32. For this symposium, like last year, I made and manned the candy raffle. This was a fun experience once again; the girl who won was so cute! I stayed for sixth and seventh period to help set up- wrapping presents, covering tables, and making balloon bouquets. However, unlike last year, I was a student presenter this year. I thought that it went smoothly, and it was a great way for me to bring closure to my project. My mom came to the symposium for the first time, and she actually really liked it. She loved how everyone was awarded, particularly the seniors, and she enjoyed the keynote speaker presentation as well.
    The Keynote presentation was very interesting. I think that Dr. Broadbridge explained a little more than I could comprehend, but in the end, she tied her explanations to present day situations such as sunscreen and computers, making us realize just how important and relevant her research is.
    I think that the student presentation topics were extremely diverse and gave a wide scope of what students in science research do. I, personally, think that all the student presenters went through their presentations smoothly and interestingly. Also, the introductions given by the star emcee, Tom, were very entertaining and flattering.
    The best thing about the symposium was the senior introductions and awards. This was a very sentimental time. One improvement that could be made is to not allow any drinks inside the auditorium. But overall, it was a fantastic symposium!

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  33. Overall, the symposium was a massive success! In comparison to last year’s symposium, this one was much smoother, particularly when it came to student and mentor award presentations. In the weeks leading up to the symposium, I helped to prepare by creating the schedule, formatting the awards list, putting flyers in the teachers’ mailboxes, etc… I set up and decorated the cafeteria on Friday, and I also brought a vegetable platter to the symposium. My mother, father, and mentor all attended and agreed that it was an extremely interesting night!
    I thought that Professor Broadbridge’s presentation on Nano and Materials Science was very entertaining, as she helped to broaden my understanding of the role that nanotechnology plays in our everyday lives. There were a few parts that I did not fully understand, but I was still able to enjoy the majority of her presentation. I thought that it was especially interesting how nanotechnology can be utilized to create non-staining fabrics. I also noticed that my mentor was on the edge of his seat the entire time.
    The quality of student presentations was extremely high, with Yuqi, Joanie, David, and Jared all doing an awesome job. Also, the great variety of projects was very important because it kept the audience from losing interest. Yuqi’s project was related to medicine and immunity, Joanie’s presentation was based on psychology, and David and Jared’s projects discussed environmental topics. Because each topic was original and distinct, the audience was entertained thoroughly from start to finish.
    The part about the symposium that I enjoyed the most was the ceremony for student and mentor awards. Last year, I remember that the mentor recognition part had been a bit awkward, but on Friday night, it was done perfectly. The transitions were very smooth, and all students and mentors were given the recognition they deserve. I also enjoyed the senior appreciation portion, as it helped to give the upperclassmen an unforgettable memory of SRP.
    As I sit here typing this blog entry, it is extremely difficult for me to think of an improvement. I could potentially write about the infamous Snapple bottle, but that wouldn’t be very original. I guess the only problem, although a minor one, was the technology at times. There were a few occasions when the PowerPoint was not functioning properly, which necessitated additional transition time. However, these minor interruptions were not nearly enough to disturb what had been a truly fantastic evening.

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  34. All in all, I think that the symposium went very well and in my opinion was the most successful of symposiums that I’ve attended over the past three years. Unlike in past years, the symposium was not dragged out or overly long. In fact, the symposium was very engaging and utilized time well. My mom and mentor, Dr. Boyd, were both very impressed by the symposium and its fluidity and organization.
    I thought that the spread of food at the symposium, decorations, and keynote speaker were great. In addition to the trays of fruit salad my mom made, there were plenty of vegetables, wrap platters, pies, baked goods, and other snacks to span the entire event and keep everyone satisfied. The only suggestion, I could make in terms of food, is to get more drinks. I felt that we had comparatively fewer drinks than food. Moreover, I think in the future, it would be wise to choose drinks in plastic containers as opposed to glass bottles because the clacking and clanging of the bottles tended to be a distraction during presentations. Decorations were also ideal. It was smart to recycle decorations from prom and past years in order to cut down on cost and waste. The tables with tablecloths and balloons were as very nice way to showcase student projects. I’d like to say that this year’s projects, including the freshmen, were particularly impressive. We had projects covering everything from Facebook to sound to cancer. I think that the decorations this year, while simple, added a nice touch to the cafeteria. The keynote speaker, Professor Broadbridge, entertained us with a discussion on nano and material science. I, typically not a fan of physical science in general, was impressed. I managed to follow her presentation and have a genuine interest in it.
    I feel that this year’s student presentations were my favorite part of the symposium. I was impressed by Yuqi, Joanie, David, and Jared. Each fine tuned their presentation and presented it clearly and concisely. I especially give Jared a lot of credit for presenting at his first symposium alongside his older peers. He did a fantastic job! I also enjoyed out tribute to the seniors.
    I think that next year, we definitely want to repeat the success of this past year. If we avoid the loud clanking of the Snapple bottles, we will have PERFECT symposium.

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  35. THiws year's science symposium was a good success however there is l;ots of room for improvement.Unfortunately my symposium experience was cut short by the fact that i had to go to the fire house to go on a fire call. However in tyhe weeks prior to the symposium I did lots of work with Will Dixon gathering and organizing the press realeases that were made this year. These releases enconmpassed everything from students to their work and the fairs that they placed in. I also worked hared on researching the life of Dave so that I might make a heart felt introduction for him as he went to collect his award.

    For me the setup and take down went smoothly, we did a lot of work during seventh period such as setting up tables and posters. The food setup just prior to the symposium start wenty well and i braught in rice crispy cakes. OUr guest presenter was good however I didnt really know much about her or her topic. Also it would have been better if we had a gues presenter that presented to everyone in srp like last year because this year wasn't that interested in the speaker because i had never heard of her or was that familliar with her. My favorite part of the symposium was by far the buffalo chicken wraps that our loving and wonderful teacher Ms. Day braught in for me. Lots of love Ms. Day!

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  36. Zelun---
    That was the best symposium ever!
    Last year's went on for way too long and I think everybody got tired after the break, but this year's symposium was great. I had a humble role in the symposium---i introduced senior eric zheng and presented him and his mentor (not present) with certificates. David steinmetz is making fun of me for saying "at the early age of high school," but I showed ms day what I was going to say and she said it was fine so..... XD. I also helped to set up the posters and food, and it was my specific role to refill the LAYS chip bowl. I invited my parents, but unfortunately they both had work and could not attend.

    I enjoyed Professor Broadbridge's presentation on nanoscience, especially since this is an area that I may wish to pursue for next year. I thought her presentation was very understandable--I think I may have seen the same presentation somewhere before, I'm not sure. I asked the question, "What are the potential negative health effects that nanoparticles in sunscreen have?" I had read an article about this a few months ago. Prof. Broadbridge replied that this is a topic that needs more experimental evidence--something that I may want to pursue.
    The student presentations were great--I mean, I've seen them all like a million times but they were especially good this time. Congrats to David Powers and Jared Lowenthal for great confidence in your presentations!
    I felt that the speeches made by Ms. Day, Mrs. Fanucci, and the live hologram correspondence from Dr. Brady in Japan were very inspirational and we should keep them next year. There was also very little technical difficulty. Tons of people must have mentioned this, but NO GLASS SNAPPLE BOTTLES NEXT YEAR lol. I honestly cannot think of an improvement--it was just awsome

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  37. I thought that the 2010 symposium was the best one that I have participated in. I thought that the symposium went very smoothly and was not boring or stretched out. I also really enjoyed the senior tributes and was ecstatic when Zelun was reading his touching blurb about me. I bought black napkins and plates for the symposium, and helped set up posters and tables after school. My mother came and thought very highly of the symposium, being especially impressed by all of the speakers.

    I thought that Christine Broadbridge’s presentation was very informative and was an extremely informative overview of nanoscience. For the most part it was delivered at my ability of understanding/ability. I appreciated her diagrams which helped me understand the material better.

    The student presentations were awesome. The diversity captured the various opportunities which students could pursue within the science research program. I thought that Jared’s presentation as spectacular. As a freshman, he displayed confidence and poise while presenting, while I know that if I were in his position I would be distracted by the daunting situation.

    I liked the student presentations best about the symposium because it really showcased the potential that all of the students have to conduct cutting-edge research. One improvement may be to have the poster session be longer and to cut out the guest speaker. I overheard a man saying how he would have preferred to have more time looking at posters and talking to students rather than sitting in the auditorium and listening to presentations.

    -Eric Z

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  38. I thought the symposium was very good. I also thought it was much better than the previous science research symposium since it was concise. I helped to prepare for the symposium by rearranging tables and putting tablecloths on them. I also put some posters on the tables. I invited three guests to the symposium this year; however, only two were able to attend. The two guests that I invited agreed with me on the fact that the symposium was very good this year.
    I enjoyed Prof. Broadbridge’s presentation. I thought the topic of nanoscience was interesting however, I felt that Prof. Broadbridge did not present it in an engaging way. Therefore, all together I thought the presentation was okay. I enjoyed Dr. Scaz’s presentation last year more than this presentation. I thought all of the student presentations were very good. They were all about very different subjects which was very good. Also, the student presenters were very well rehearsed and did not seem that nervous. These presentations were the best thing about the symposium in my opinion. In the future I would like to run through the symposium the day before, just so it is more efficient and smoother. All in all, I thought the symposium was very good.

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  39. As a whole I found this year’s science symposium to be a great success. I have also attended the science symposium last year, and I thought this one was better. Last year it seemed as if there was almost a lack of food. Even though we had lots of food, it was eaten very quickly and there was little dessert remaining during the break while as this year we had a greater abundance. Other than this, I think we did a great job preparing for both. On a personal level, my contributions this year include: helping to set up in class, presenting at the symposium and bringing brownies as a dessert.
    I invited 4 people to attend the symposium and all of them attended. One of the guests was my mentor and he found the fair to be very interesting. He was amazed by the amount of people are in the program and by their projects. Overall, he enjoyed the fair but he felt we should include a schedule on the invitation because he thought it was just going to be three hours of walking around looking at posters and didn’t know about the key note speaker and everything else in the auditorium. As a result he ended up coming late.
    As a whole I enjoyed Prof. Christine Broadbridge’s presentation. Even so, I found last year’s speaker to be more interesting. This year the topic was less relatable and slightly more difficult to understand. Even though she tried using smaller words she moved a little too fast. Along with the key note speaker I found the student speakers to be very good. Each project was so different from one another and the speakers did a great job.
    I really think that the candy guessing game is a great thing to include at the symposium. For many people it makes it more fun and adds to their overall impression of the symposium. One improvement that I would like to see for next year is to make sure that everyone stays near their poster at the beginning a little better. I saw some guests standing by posters reading them with no one there to explain their research.
    -David Powers

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  40. In general, this years Symposium did not seem an overall improvement from last year's. This is not to say, however, that it was bad, or that the SRP made significant accomplishments this year.
    One area of note was preperation. This year's Symposium was at least a logistical succuss, in both the preperation of food, refreshments, student projects, and the presentations. I contributed by bringing cases of the infamous snapple bottles, and by helping to set up for the fair by arranging cutlery, pies, decorations, and I carried in the big cake from Ms. Day's car. This year's food was good, although I never saw the need or appeal for an emphasis on pies, and would have appreciated more variety instead.
    One thing that significantly held back this year's symposium from surpassing last year's was the keynote adress. Last year's presentation, and by extension theme, appeared to have much more continuity and interactivity than this years. This was a standout shortcoming for me.
    As always, the student presentations demonstrated the quality and diversity of the SRP. Our presentations were timely, well spoken, and interesting. The last speaker's presentation was a text heavy, but understandable because he was a freshman, and didn't significantly take away from the quality of the presentation as a whole.
    The speech by Ms. Day had both positives and negatives. It rightfully emphasized achievements of the program, our departing seniors, and the SRP's achievements, as well as its goals. The concentration, which appeared more like fixation, on Bill Gates and his speech was well intentioned and justly appropriate, but diverted too much attention from the SRP itself. This component could be improved by using Bill as an example among many, and draw significance to them from scientific research, not the other way around.
    My favorite part of the symposium was commemorating the seniors, who have earned attention due to their incredible work and devotion to the program.
    Overall, the quality was comparable to last year's. Although lacking significant improvements, it was still a good event and a success on the whole.

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  41. Preparing for the symposium was less stressful than before because it seemed like we planned it out better than in years past. During the program I introduced a senior, which was hard since I really did not know her. This symposium I brought a cheesecake, and 3 (including me) of the 4 people who were invited came. My mentor was unable to attend because she was on a cruise, but my parents came for the symposium. My parents thought that this year was the smoothest and best of the three symposiums that they had been to before. They also thought that it was a good idea to let the keynote speaker give their presentation early in the symposium. They thought that it was a much more concise and interesting symposium.
    Prof. Broadbridge's presentation was interesting, and I had no idea that there was such a broad range of possible research and applications for nanoscience. I did not realize how much nanoscience was involved in our lives. I thought that her advice to choose an area of study in science and get research experience was very good as well. Some of the material was a little bit above my understanding ability, but most of it was at my understanding ability.
    The diversity of the student presentations was perfect, and I thought that all the presenters did great jobs. I thought Yuqi's was the best because she did the best job of having a clear and confident voice.
    I liked the student presentations best because I got to here other projects from people in other classes. I would like to shorten the amount of student presentations. I think that only juniors and seniors should present.

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  42. Ming Said (I know it's really long):

    Even the greatest movies need comic relief. Phrases like, “Gosh, what was with the Snapple bottles in there?” or “We are totally not getting glass bottles next year,” were ever-present after leaving from the presentation room. Yet, from the corner of my eye, I even noticed Mrs. Fanucci laughing after the second loud clang of somebody’s foot against an iced tea drink. Were it not for the bottles, we teenagers probably would have found another way to amuse ourselves anyways.
    The only downside of my experience, trapped between many more pleasant memories, was the very beginning. I’d returned from running track that afternoon and didn’t have a ride home (especially to a shower), so I was the first person waiting in the cafeteria. A while later, an unfamiliar man walked up to me and asked for directions to the nearest bathroom was. I kindly pointed the way, simply brushing him off as someone’s parent in my mind. A few more minutes passed until the person came back (this was still before 6:00) to ask about my project.
    “Bacteria,” I responded vaguely before returning to my homework.
    “Okay, can you elaborate more?”
    Why on earth was this person so nosy? Of course, I didn’t say this out loud. Instead, I looked up, plastered on a wide smile, and gestured him toward my poster, “Of course.”
    And then my own nosiness got the best of me. “Excuse me—I don’t want to sound—are you someone’s parent?”
    Something incomprehensible crossed over his face. Surprise? Confusion? Insult?
    “Oh! No.” Awkward chuckle. “I’m a professor from New York… I’ll be observing your symposium today to see if next year, we could offer college-credit for this program.”
    Oh. Okay. Well… ummm, my bad?
    Now I actually had a purpose, not to mention necessity, for being polite. And don’t worry Ms. Day, I told him about the awesomeness of our program until he walked off very satisfied with the scientific level and diligence of Amity Science Research.
    The rest of the night went very smoothly. The symposium was short, sweet, and to the point with good transitioning to and from the auditorium. I thought the raffle was very well organized, and a great touch to a serious event. The spotlight seemed to shine on every individual, at least for a moment. Overall, a very good first impression from me!
    Dr. Broadbridge’s presentation was a great addition, but it seemed that she was trying to fit such an extensive topic into a cutout time frame, so she had to generalize many explanations. Halfway through, I found it slightly hard to follow along. I understood the ideas that she was conveying, such as how material science could help the future in so many ways, including medicine. However, lots of times, I didn’t understand the “why” factor behind her speech. Perhaps for a student coming from zip-zero-nada background knowledge about materials science (like me), it was harder to understand. Around me, I noticed a small number of people asleep.
    Student presentations offered wide diversity from medical topics with B-cells and T-cells to apples in microbial fuel cells. However, maybe the length of each could be cut down by just a few minutes.
    Besides myself, my sister and dad came for a while. Then, my sister (who’s five) wanted to go home. With a five-year-old mindset, she obviously could not understand Dr. Broadbridge’s presentation and became very agitated upon the stillness of the auditorium. Thus, my dad also missed most of the symposium.
    My contributions to the symposium were bringing food (bottles of salsa for the chips), decorating the flashy pie table, rewriting the “Overview” section of the program booklet, and cleaning up afterwards. In my opinion the best part of the symposium was the overall organization, and the fact that it ended before ten. An improvement would be to… clap when we’re supposed to, and then not talk as much during the presentations.
    Anyways, as my first symposium ever, I thought it was very well run J

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  43. I really enjoyed this year's symposium. I thought it ran a lot smoother than symposia in years past and I think that was due to less "filler," which was most prominent in last year's symposium where we had individuals reflect on certain experiences they had (such as myself presenting at a music/brain conference and Jenny Liu presenting at a psychology conference, etc.). While it is great to hear about the achievements that certain SRP students have achieved, the people who come to the symposium as guests are more interested in the work students have done and the actual research component, as opposed to the awards and accomplishments (which they can just read about in the newspaper anyways). This year's symposium was exactly that - more research oriented and that's why I think it worked. I prepared the introduction video as my contribution and I helped set up beforehand. I invited my parents and they showed up for a bit, though they were busy that night.

    Contrary to what my peers are saying, I thought Professor Broadbridge's powerpoint was a great choice for the symposium. I liked the fact that it didn't follow one specific project because we would not have been able to understand that. It was a crash-course in nanotechnology, a field that many of us, including myself, are completely unfamilar with. My one suggestion next year is to have a slightly more relatable speaker - maybe someone in psychology since that has been a common subject in our experiments.

    I enjoyed the student presentations a lot. Almost everything was covered - biological sciences, environmental science, physics, and psychology. I think the audience really enjoyed the speakers too; I don't think there could have been a better lineup. I was very impressed, like everyone else, with Jared's presentation. I think his project was great and it was my first chance to see his project since I didn't go to any of the same science fairs as the freshmen.

    My favorite part of the symposium were the speeches delivered by the juniors for the graduating senior class. Of course, my favorite speaker was Gregorian Loscalzo, though Williams Dixon was a very, very close second. My biggest complaint about the symposium were the noises made by the glass bottles; I say next year either we should not allow people to bring in said bottles or we just don't allow any food in the auditorium period.

    - Ishan

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  44. I definitely think this year’s symposium was an improvement over previous years. I was unable to help with setup and food as much as I would have liked because I was at a leadership seminar in Bridgeport on Friday, but they were kind enough to let me leave for Friday night. I arrived around 5:45pm on Friday and presented at my poster once or twice before we all moved to the auditorium for presentations. Unfortunately, I had invited my mentor to attend the symposium, but he had a last-minute emergency and could not make it. =( I think Professor Broadbridge’s presentation was very interesting and definitely at an appropriate level of sophistication for the purposes of the event and the audience. She described some intriguing applications of nanotechnology in a variety of different fields. I would be extremely interested in learning more about the environmental impacts of nanotechnology… The student presentations were also well-delivered. We had a good variety of topics, from medicine and epidemiology to environmental studies and renewable energy. All of the students were well-prepared and did a good job telling the narrative of their project. My favorite thing about the symposium was the addition of an emcee and the “fun facts” about all the presenters. This added an element of humor to make the night even more enjoyable. I think the length of the symposium could still be reduced, maybe during the opening remarks/presentation of awards or decreasing the number of student presentations (a few advanced, one year I rather than one from each grade).

    -Zizi

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