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STEM fair draws 120 participants
About 120 young science and technology whizzes competed in last Saturday’s islandwide STEM Fair competition, aiming for a chance to compete in Guam or Philadelphia.
Maria Theresa Dizon, a Marianas High School senior, was the overall winner for grades 9 to 12. She will showcase her project, “Inhibiting Box Jellyfish Cell Discharge,” or inhibiting stinging effects of jellyfish in the Philadelphia competition.
She tested several chemicals, like baking soda or vinegar, on nematocysts to see their potential effects. She learned that seawater, not vinegar, a popular cure for stings in Australia, did not trigger the nematocysts to fire.
Third place overall winner Rianna Camacho, from Rota, stands with her mom and public school officials after winning in the grade K to 2 cluster for her “Attractive Homemade Mosquito” science project. (Photos by DENNIS B. CHAN)
Mount Carmel School’s Hitomi Rosa Sasamato, with her father Derek, is awarded second place for “Density Tower II” project at the STEM fair last week.
Namiko Calvo, from Rota, was an overall winner for her project, titled: “What building design can withstand an earthquake?”
Maria Theresa Dizon won overall winner for high school. She smiles for a photo with her PSS mentors and officials.
Namiko Calvo was one of two Sinapalao Elementary School students who won overall for their grade clusters.
John Pohl was the overall winner for grades 6 to 8 for his “Hydro Car.”
John Pohl represented Marianas Baptist Academy.
Maria Theresa Dizon gave a shoutout to her partners and mentors in the Step-Up program, where she worked on her project last summer.
“I am super excited. I did not think I’d win at all. I’d just like to thank all my mentors, my family, and God,” Dizon told Saipan Tribune.
Overall winner for grades six to eight was Jonah Pohl, from Marianas Baptist Academy, for his “Hydro Car.” Namiko Calvo, from Sinapalo Elementary, won for grades 3 to 5, for her project that tested how designs could withstand earthquakes. Rianna Barcinas, also from Sinapalo, won for K-2, for her homemade mosquito trap.
These winners earn a trip to the 37th annual STEM Fair in Guam.
First-place winners for high school, middle school, grades 3 to 5, and kindergarten to grade 2 were Won Ju Kim from MBA, Trixia Litulumar from Oleai Elementary School, Amber Nicole Mendiola from SES, and Elizabeth Babauta from Gregorio T. Camacaho Elementary school, respectively.
Second place winners were Cleo Cuizon for high school, Loraine Lubeng for middle school, Kylan Cabrera for grade 6 to 8, and Hitomi Rosa Sasamoto for K to grade 2.
Jun Li from MHS won third place. Nicole Kim from Hopwood won third place for grades 6 to 8. Hyeonbin Jong from Saipan Community School won third place for grades 3 to 5. John Anthony Tobongbanau won third place for grades K to 2.
The inaugural Viewer’s Choice award went to Annejenette Jewel Cubangbang.
Private and public schools all over the CNMI competed.
Over 72 judges made up of members from the public selected the winners.
