Participating in the NC Student Academy of Science research paper competition proved fruitful for a number of Millennium Charter Academy students as they came home with medals.

The students traveled to the NC School of Science and Math last weekend for the competition which required them to complete a science research project and then present their project and findings to a panel of judges using a PowerPoint presentation. The main difference between this competition and a more traditional science fair is the research paper component. There were 230 students at the event making 172 presentations.

Jake Nester placed second in the technology division and also received the US Naval Award. He built a wind tunnel and then tested and modified balsa wood gliders to determine what worked best.

“It was fun and a good experience,” said Nester.

Mary Beth Browne placed second in the water quality studies division. She competed with the same project in the state science fair but added a 42-page research paper for this competition. She grew edible plants in polluted reclaimed water to see if the plants would clean the soil.

“I would do this every weekend if they had it,” said Browne of the competition.

Adam Cave placed third in the water quality studies division. He studied the effects of different tank conditions on fish by having one tank that was natural, one that was full of trash and one that had nothing in it but a filter. He spent 10 minutes each day observing the fish, feeding them and taking notes. While he was nervous explaining his research to the panel of judges, he would recommend the experience.

Emma Cassell placed third in the soil and water division for her project on soil retention. She tested five kinds of soil to see which retained water the longest.

“I thought it would be a lot harder than it was,” she said of the competition. “I would definitely do it again. It was definitely worth it. People should keep trying until they get there. It will look good on my resume, too.”

Emma Harrison and Kenneth Erickson teamed up for a project that placed third in the behavioral sciences division. They worked with Countdown, a trained therapy dog, and first-grade students to see if reading with the dog would improve their reading abilities.

They would spend about 15 minutes reading with each child and then allow the children to interact with the dog by feeding him a treat or just petting or playing with him.

“It was a really different project. Not a lot of kids get that opportunity,” said Erickson. “The dog did help the kids. They improved in reading and also improved in their behavior. It helped break down the barriers we were trying to break down.”

It was Harrison’s third trip to the research competition, but she did not feel like that really gave her an advantage.

“Each year is almost like a new experience,” she said. “It’s a great experience that not a lot of people have. I love it.”

Erickson had his first experience with the research competition this year and competed with two different projects, something he found challenging.

“It was fun to go talk with a bunch of people. You get to learn about other people’s projects so you learn a lot,” he said. “I would definitely like to go back next year in high school.”

Peter Balogh and Andrew Balogh also participated in the research competition taking first and third, respectively.

Students also had the chance to hear from Dr. Oliver Smithies, a Nobel Laureate and Excellence Professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of North Carolina, who was the keynote speaker at the event.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.