Tim's blog

When the St. Louis Science Center asked its employees recently to don Monsters! decals on the side of their cars as an aid to promotion of the event, many were reluctant to step up. Few were willing to invite the decorative robotic eyeball and red SLSC logo onto their methods of transport. Staff morale was at an all-time low and times were tough at the Science Center...but that's when everything changed.

People throw the word HERO around loosely these days. You'll often hear it in reference to a sports player, a first responder to an emergency, or a single mother struggling to make it on her own. But when I think of what a HERO is to me, I think of Lance Cutter. As Director of Community Programs, Lance Cutter knew that people need a role model. When Lance saw that people were wary of placing decals on the cars, did he ask why? No. Did he reprimand his staff for non-participation? No. He stepped up to the plate and placed not 1 or 2, but 8 decals on his brand new BMW. Now that's a HERO.

There is no one I strive to be more than Lance Cutter. Lance Cutter is a beacon of hope in a dreary world.

April 26th was the last weekend of Learning Labs for the spring 2008 semester and City Science teens spent the day finalizing their presentations on semester projects. Teens worked very hard to create poster presentations and interactive activities to demoonstrate what material they have spent the semester learning. Presentations were on topics such as the Caracal Cat, Lipids, Proteins, Sugars, Starches, other Food Nutrients, Food Borne Illnesses, Home Decor and Design, and the Candy Lab.

Click here for more photos from this week's final lab and presentations.

Last week in City Science, teens worked in their groups to prepare presentations regarding their spring semester projects in the YES program. City Science A and B will present to each other during the last period of learning labs on April 26th. Teens will also lead the groups in activities related to their semester projects. Check out photos below of teens preparing to present!

Click READ MORE to uncover information about the MLK Dream Keeper's Fair, which our teens attended after preparing their presentations...and as always, click here to viewmore photos from this week!

Juniors and Seniors role-played potential roommate conflicts this weekend during College Prep. The activity was designed to get teens thinking about living on a college campus and the different types of students one may encounter. Teens acted out scenarios with Popular Pat, Homesick Henry, and others!

Freshmen and Sophomores took a break from resume development to relax. Part of being a successful college student is knowing what stresses you out and how to handle that stress. The teens participated in stretching activities, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided meditation. These are just examples of emthods people can use to relax.

If you have any questions about College Prep, please email me at tmulhall@slsc.org and click here to view more photos from this week!

Teens in the lab developed their own methods of creating candy during Learning Labs this past weekend. Rather than providing teens with directions and procedures, teens were divided into pairs and worked together to create Lollipops and Bubble Gum knowing only the ingredients to be used (and not proportions, amounts, etc). Teens used various creative methods to create their candy concoctions and worked as a group to determine the best way to develop their items. The groups really enjoyed the freedom to create their own flavors in their own manner.

View the rest of the pictures from this lab by clicking here. See you next week!

Teens in the wet lab experimented with milk this weekend. Milk contains a protein called "casein" which an ingredient found in common non-food products such as glue, combs, buttons, paints, plastics, and many more. Starting by heating a milk and vinegar solution to separate the casein, teens combined the casein curds with baking soda and water to create various glue solutions. The teens used skim milk and whole milk, but you have to ask them which one worked better and if any work better than regular glue.  

Click here for more photos from the Milk Glue activity. As always, if you have any questions about the material, you can email me at tmulhall@slsc.org.

This past weekend, our YES teens had a visit from the St. Louis Herpetological Society, an organization that educates the community on caring for reptilies and amphbians and other exotic pets. This organization also adopts animals that can no longer be cared for by their owners and seeks to find them homes.

Karen from the Herp Society brought with her two turtles, a Urimastyx, Blue Tongued Skink, Bull Python, Hog-nosed snake, leucistic tree snake, a baby Crocodile, and an 8-ft Albino Python! The new teens showed some courage and passed the Albino Python through the rows!

You can view more photos of the visit from the St. Louis Herpetological Society by clicking here.