The 2006 Mt. Hood Science Expo (MHSE, our own regional science fair) is now history (well, except for the residual paperwork and escorting the winners to Indianapolis in May). Although the number of actual entries that showed up turned out to be rather modest (around 60), from the feedback I’ve received so far, the event was a rousing success. As with any large get-together of human beings, there were periodic crises that arose throughout the day; all were quickly and efficiently resolved by one or another of us, though.

My army of helpers was both large in number and hugely talented. An inner circle of us wore “Board of Directors” on our name tags…we were the primary planners and implementers. Then, we had professional-level judges who took off from their real jobs and gave us an entire day’s worth of time to talk with student participants and to assess their projects. Further, we recruited a very impressive showing of other volunteers, who did everything from covering the gym floor with a protective mat, to setting-up, tearing-down and carrying the tables. This kind of undertaking takes, at various points, significant amounts intellectual, emotional and physical energy. My jobs were mostly intellectual and emotional, leading me to a point of utter fatigue at the end of the day yesterday. Luckily, I had volunteers who carried on even after the awards ceremony to attend to the cleanup tasks. Some even showed up at the gym at 6:30 a.m. this morning to complete the job!

We had quite the range of projects. At the top end, we had students who just flat out “knew their stuff,” had done real science, and presented it in a way that the judges could understand and fairly evaluate. It was obvious that these kids were bright, articulate, and headed on their way to someplace significant in life. Wow, what a bunch! Of course, we had some projects on the other end of the spectrum as well. As the day wore on, and it became increasingly obvious that they were not really competitive, I realized I was feeling a little sorry for them. However, during my orientation speech to everybody at the beginning of the day, I had indicated that their science-fair experience was likely to be an intellectually-stimulating and growth-producing one whatever the outcome of their projects. I’m betting that if they didn’t understand me in the morning, some may have caught on to my meaning by the end of the day.

Even though a small core of us were dealing with a research-ethics dilemma as late as 5:00 p.m. — one that decided the last category winner — we still began the awards ceremony only a couple minutes late, a little after 6:00 p.m. That part of the program went quickly and smoothly as well (sigh…if only our Master of Ceremonies was a tad more familiar with some of the names!), so we were actually done ahead of the anticipated schedule.

I am hugely, immensely, beyond-belief indebted to several core people that were my MHSE team. This list includes, but is not limited to: Heather Ohana, Rachelle Ham, Valory Thatcher, Melissa Gonzales McNeal, Doug McCarty, Jack Brook, Jack Fassel, Tom Worcester, Stephanie Jones, and Jill Parisher. Original Board of Directors Member Michael Russell, who found the need to take leave of his responsibilities midway through our planning activities because of family issues, was with us in spirit yesterday, I'm sure. His father died during this last week, and the memorial service was scheduled at the same time as our awards ceremony last night. Michael, our hearts were with you, even though our bodies were not.

Near the end of the day, right before the awards ceremony began, Jill relayed a little story to me that almost brought me to tears. She indicated that she’d been talking the day over with one of the judges who very frequently works these regional fairs, and who had done several in the last few years. Her report to me was that judge said that this was the best-run regional fair he had ever experienced. The flow to our day was well planned-out, and it appeared that the organizers had basically thought of everything to make this a positive experience for everyone.

We tried. And I think we pulled it off. We done good, gang!