IHS Science Club Brings Back Great Scores From PJAS Competition

Indiana Area Senior High School

IHS Science Club Brings Back Great Scores From PJAS Competition

By KILEY BRANAN

On Sunday, February 27th the IHS science club students were provided with their scores from the previous day’s competition, PJAS, at Slippery Rock University. Upon the arrival of their scores, came excited students, many of which move onto states in May.

The IHS Science Club, run by science teachers Mrs. Hixson, Mrs. Edmonds, and Mr. Lehman, and math/stats teacher Dr. Layden, attended the PJAS regional science competition at Slippery Rock University. This competition is the first of many throughout the remainder of the school year.

“I enjoy discussing the various student projects and working together to help students find solutions to the myriad of problems that crop up in the process. It always amazes me how my colleagues can come up with ingenious ways for students to explore their research with the resources we have, all while trying to guide students to come up with solutions on their own,” mentioned Mrs. Hixson

At this competition science club students within the same region also arrived at Slippery Rock to compete, each student’s project is grouped into a scientific category (ex. Biology, engineering, botany, etc.) theses students are then assigned rooms based on these categories. Meaning all the students from each category would be grouped together and present in front of one another as well as judges who were also present. Each category has a corresponding rubric along which the students are graded (this means there are multiple 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places throughout each category).

All of the students worked very hard in the months prior to formulate their projects and presentations. Their preparations include everything from testing and taking data to interviewing students and putting together statistics. Throughout the day, students got to hear others’ presentations, present their own work, explore some areas of slippery rock university, have downtime to discuss and work off some nerves, and of course take the yearly photo at the rock.

“My project was about how magnets affect how charged particles move and I prepared by practicing my presentation what I was supposed to in front of other classes, as well as outside of school, including on the way to PJAS,” explained senior Andrew Kuzneski on how he best prepared for the competition.

Although there was only a day between the presentations and the release of scores, students were eagerly waiting to find out if they had moved onto states in the coming months, a special congratulations to all of the club members and their continued hard work as well as to those who received special awards and those moving onto states.

Moving onto states:

Seniors Juniors Sophomores Freshmen

Jenna Conrad Kiley Branan Isabella Yuha Vania Ali

Andrew Kuzneski Emma Grim Hannah Cowburn

Trista Newman Gabe Kenning Gavin Dunmyer

Carly Wang Olivia Krimin Lillian Stevens

Sophie Runge

Julia Runge

Special Awards:

Directors Awards – Julia Runge, and Lillian Stevens

Perfect Score – Julia Runge

Best in Botany Category Award – Jenna Conrad

Best is Physics Category Award – Andrew Kuzneski

The entire science club will attend a separate competition, PRSEF, on March 23, where they will be able to meet other students and explore their projects but also meet representatives from colleges in the area and explore the Carnegie Science Center. PJAS states will be held later in May. The club allows the students many opportunities to explore the world of STEM and careers within it.

“There is nothing like getting a group of bright young minds together to talk about what they are passionate about. The energy and enthusiasm is infectious. After attending these events I know that there is great hope for the future of humanity. Also the food, Penn State Creamery ice cream is something I look forward to every May! Science club is open to everyone who is interested in pursuing their own research idea. If this sounds interesting to you be sure to join us next fall during club sign-ups!” commented Mrs. Hixson.

A final congratulations and recognition of all their hard work awarded to the students of the IHS science club who competed and presented project at PJAS and will again at PRSEF.

You May Also Like...

Senior Career Seminar Program sets Indiana Senior High School students up for a successful future career

By Anna Carnovale Seniors at Indiana Senior High School have the chance to participate in the Senior Career Seminar Program. This is an educational internship program aimed at helping students learn about potential future careers. This opportunity allows students to have an out of the classroom real world learning experience and is aimed at setting students up for success in their future careers. IHS seniors can opt out of morning or afternoon classes in exchange for an internship at a career-related experience. Students earn credit for their internship in place of the classes they would normally take at the high school, provided they still meet their required classes for graduation. This program differs from others at IHS because students must seek their own employment, resulting in a large pool of opportunities. Students must work at least 10 hours per week, in addition to completing all classwork. Classwork for these students

December 17, 2025

Honoring those who have served

By Zoey Motto A person’s service does not simply end when they retire, or leave the military. There are reminders everyday of their courage and bravery from the stars and stripes that fly high, to the people around them. The things they learned are still with them as they carry it through life, and pass on to those around them. When IHS Paraprofessional Randy Sell was posed the question, ‘What is your biggest take away from your time in service?,’ he replied “Anything you put your mind to can be accomplished, pay attention to details, make it happen.” We all know to thank those around us on Veterans Day, but many don’t know how the day came to be. It began when WWI, also called The Great War, ended. It had ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year. President Woodrow Wilson

November 25, 2025

Teachers in training: IHS launches new Rising Educators Program

By Bella Flores There are many things that make IHS an amazing place to be, but the biggest reason is our teachers. ICTC recently partnered with IHS to start up the new Rising Educators program. This is a program that is based at IHS that provides students a head start at an education to become teachers. This program is open to all schools that qualify for the ICTC program. The program is run by IHS Family and Consumer Sciences teachers Mrs. Sarah Juart and Mrs. Marianne Brady. Similarly to how students attend ICTC, students participating in the program attend IHS for half of their academic day. The Rising Educators Program is an extension of the IHS child development class. In this program, students learn about child development, the process of becoming a teacher, and even get hands-on experience teaching as they run a preschool that is based in IHS. The

November 19, 2025

IHS students advocate for heart health on Capitol Hill

By Gabi Isenberg Two IHS students, junior Liliana Manzi and senior Gabrielle Isenberg, traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the American Heart Association’s Hearts on the Hill event on Oct. 27 and 28. Hearts on the Hill included volunteer advocates of all ages from across the country. 47 states were represented. Their mission was to urge members of the United States Congress to fund the HEARTS Act – a bill that was passed unanimously last year and provides grants to schools for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, automated external defibrillator (AED) access, and the implementation of cardiac emergency response plans. The goal is to equip all students and staff with the knowledge and tools to respond in the event of a cardiac emergency, like sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is an unexpected and quick loss of heart function. Victims are unable to breath and do not have a pulse. Those

October 31, 2025

The spooky season is upon us at IHS

By Alexis Nyland Today, Halloween has become a holiday focused on community and children’s activities such as trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, festive parties, and dressing up in costumes. The holiday evolved over centuries, incorporating Christian traditions, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and later modern practices from Irish and Scottish immigrants. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain was celebrated on Nov. 1 and marked the end of summer and the harvest. The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, allowing ghosts of the dead to return. To ward off the evil spirits, Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes, often made of animal skins. The tradition of trick-or-treating evolved from a medieval European custom called “souling,” where the poor would beg for soul cakes in exchange for prayers. It also grew out of the Irish custom of “guising,” where a

October 31, 2025

Facilitating learning at every level: Fulbright Scholars Program returns to IHS

By Gabi Isenberg For several years, Indiana Area Senior High School has welcomed Fulbright Scholars hosted by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. On Sept. 10, 2025, this year’s group of educators began their weekly visits to the Senior High, which concluded on Oct. 15. The end of their visit is accompanied by the annual Cultural Fair that showcases the different customs and traditions of the scholars. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program was established by Congress in 1946 “to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” according to the organization’s website. Educators from the United States, as well as educators from other countries, participate in this exchange to learn from teachers in different areas of the world. IUP has been chosen as a hosting institution for ten years in a row. The High Arrow was able

October 17, 2025