Professors, STEM club cadets reach out to kids at science carnival

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The Air Force Academy's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics club demonstrated technology related to aeronautics and astronautics career fields at the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs Saturday at the annual Cool Science Festival Hands-on Science Carnival.

STEM exhibits included models of FalconSAT and future aircraft, a solid rocket demonstration and a hands-on paper airplane construction activity.

Cadet 2nd Class Victor Lopez, the STEM Club president and vice president of the Academy's chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, thanked the volunteers, many of whom took part in the entire seven-hour event. Lopez is assigned to Cadet Squadron 18.

Also at the event were Chemistry Department Professor Dr. Ron Furstenau and Physics Department Professor Dr. Gabriel Font. Colorado Springs resident Evelyn Hess, who attended the festival with two of her children, wrote to the Gazette Oct. 20 to share her thoughts on their shows.

Furstenau "repeatedly called for children from the audience to help him perform experiments," Hess wrote. "In the room filled to capacity, there was a sea of hands of children eager to participate." Font likewise had a large audience participating in experiments that "either exploded, spun or sparked with electricity."

"If you missed the carnival, plan on attending next year and watch your children become fascinated by science," Hess wrote.

The STEM club volunteers included:

-- Dr. Thomas Cunningham, Aeronautics Department
-- 2nd Lt. Kathryn Kirkman, Astronautics Department
-- Cadet 1st Class Chad Hennig, CS 19
-- Cadet 1st Class Rachel Mittelman, CS 40
-- Cadet 1st Class Tate Montgomery, CS 19
-- Cadet 2nd Class Ryan Nelson, CS 17
-- Cadet 2nd Class Suzann Nordquist, CS 18
-- Cadet 2nd Class Maria Phillips, CS 18
-- Cadet 2nd Class Rachel Roberts, CS 32
-- Cadet 2nd Class Jessica Wong, CS 18
-- Cadet 4th Class Amanda Beranek, CS 18
-- Cadet 4th Class Jonathan Kim, CS 18
-- Cadet 4th Class Paige Saxton-Getty, CS 18
-- Cadet 4th Class John Suttorp, CS 18
-- Cadet 4th Class Patrick Yoo, CS 18

(Information compiled from the Aeronautics Department, the Gazette and staff reports.)