Students at Hazelwood College were both thrilled and relieved when they received the news that their project had qualified to compete in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition this year. Five projects will represent the school in the RDS, Dublin from the 12th – 15th January 2011. Over 1735 projects were submitted throughout the country so for Hazelwood College to have five projects is a huge achievement. Again this year Hazelwood College have the highest number of projects in the county.
Marion Brosnan, Kathyrn McCarthy and Triona Dunleavy’s project entitled “An Investigation into the Effect Cider Vinegar has on the Somatic Cell count of Cow’s milk”, is an extremely topical subject, in which a lot of local farmers will be interested to find out more about in order to reduce the number of cases of mastitis that occur.
Liz Cremin and Ciara O Shea have booked a place in the Intermediate Technology Section, their project – “An assessment of grass / fresh silage as a good feedstock for anaerobic digestion and produce a novel device in order to remove the biogas and digestate”. Another interesting and original idea for the agricultural world.
Kallie Hodgson, Becky Ryan and Eddie Prunty have undertaken “An exploratory investigation into the beneficial effects of Coursework B and does it influence students opting to pursue a Leaving Certificate Science subject”. Fascinating facts and opinions are currently been uncovered in the analysis of questionnaires.
The fourth project from transition year students involves Loretta Hanley and Aisling O Connor. They are in the process of “Designing a Heat Recovery System for a domestic chimney flute”. This innovative device will alleviate and cut down on costs for heating homes which will be very much welcomed in our current climate!
Katie Cunningham and Tara Barrett, both second year students at Hazelwood College. Their project, ‘The Changing Face of Menstruation’ aims to investigate the subtle changes in the female face which take place during the course of her menstrual cycle and to find out the stage during her menstrual cycle when she is most attractive. This investigation is arousing much interest and enthusiasm amongst teachers and students alike!
A buzz of excitement is around all the participants as they look forward to displaying their work for all to see! A lot of hard work is necessary is any of the projects wish to follow last year’s success where Máire Flanagan and Celia Cremin were placed First in the Intermediate Technology Section.
Well done and Best of luck to all involved!