By JULIAN YERGER – Many clubs at IHS hold fundraisers, but the Science Club relies on a unique method. In the teacher’s lounge, all faculty were invited to a luncheon with food provided by students and local businesses.
The fundraiser brought in $750 for the club, and this tidy sum of donations will pay for IHS students to travel to Pittsburgh and Penn State for competitions. This allows the club to pay busing and hotel costs when traveling to present science projects.
The main courses at the luncheon were donated by Chipotle, Jimmy John’s, and 9th Street Deli, while Martin’s provided a gift card for other food purchases. Dessert was provided by students in the club, such as junior Raeleigh Smith who brought “Jello Jigglers, which are like pieces of Jello with more water.”
Senior Shane Moran brought a family classic that his mother used to sell as a business. “She makes the turtle cheesecake, it has chocolate chips and caramel in it.” Junior Talia Mastalski made peanut butter bars, also a regular dish. “Sometimes I make it myself and sometimes my parents help; I made it last year and the teachers liked it.”
The luncheon was held during periods 5-7 to correspond with lunch break, and there were also door prizes to encourage turnout. Starbucks provided a gift card, club advisor Mrs. Hixson provided a flower bouquet, and the local Indiana Farmers Market provided $10 tokens, accepted by most vendors there.
The Science Club officer election hasn’t yet been held, so the officers from last year are still serving. Smith, the acting president, helped to set up the luncheon. “I helped lay out all the food before the school day started, then at the end helped the treasurer count money.”
Science Club is a club at IHS offered on both the A and B rotations in which students partner with an IUP faculty member to complete a research project. These typically involve making a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, and analyzing the data.
Students make posters and present their results to judges, also showing how they followed the scientific method. Although the format may appear similar to an Elementary Science fair, the IUP partnership requires much more elaborate projects and the standards for presentation are much higher also.
In the initial round, students are scored against a rubric and placed into three categories, with the top category advancing to the state level competition. Outstanding projects can also win other awards, some of which include college scholarships and cash prizes.
Another luncheon and fundraiser will be coming in January, but these are the only major fundraisers the club holds.
[Photo by Emily Hixson]
Photo Caption: “Students from Science Club gathered to thank the teachers that donated money at the luncheon.”
