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Have a great summer vacation! :)
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SCA sits in on YCC’s “Safety in the Laboratory” Science Café @ The Rat
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On Wednesday, April 18th at 7 PM, TCNJ chemistry students dined with Angela Goodenough and Matthew Crowe in The Rathskellar over lab horror stories. Goodenough, of Bristol-Myers Squibb and Crowe, of Dow Chemical, rehashed their experiences in Chemistry and provided advice for students considering a career in industry. It was a fun way to spend the evening and learn more about the opportunities out there for chemistry majors.
SCA hosts “walk on water” spectacular during 2012 Week of Science
On Friday, April 13th, SCA hosted a “walk on water” spectacular during TCNJ’s School of Science “Week of Science.”
SCA members arranged buckets full of water and cornstarch outside of the student center for the event. Food coloring was used to add pizazz to the Non-Newtonian Fluid.
“It was magical,” says SCA Vice President Anthony Judilla.
Students were awed by the unfamiliar concoction. Many tried running, skipping, and even crawling on the cornstarch-water mixture.
Applying the cornstarch run to quicksand made the substance somewhat more familiar to students. Both cornstarch and quicksand are “Non-Newtonian” because the viscosity of the mixtures depends not only on temperature, but also on the force applied to the liquid or on how fast an object moves through the substance. Quicksand is like the cornstarch mixture: if you struggle to escape quicksand, you apply pressure to the substance and it becomes hard, thereby making it more difficult to escape. It would make more sense, therefore, to escape quicksand by moving slowly toward solid ground; also lying down on it would distribute your weight over a wider area and reduce the pressure.
Doing the opposite, however, would enable you to successfully “walk on water.” By walking quickly on the cornstarch run, you build pressure, and prevent yourself from sinking. Students quickly caught onto this and became successful at the sport.
Probability Party 2012 = Success
On Thursday, April 12th, SCA hosted its first annual “Probability Party.” What was originally supposed to be a board game and Wii night turned into a dance party and “nail polishing extravaganza.” With catering by No. 1 China, DJaying by Grasso, and a ROYGBIV collection of nail polish, the Probability Party was a huge success.
“The probability of having fun at that party was off the chains,” says senior Anthony Judilla.
Indeed, roughly 30 students, both from TCNJ and Rider University, enjoyed the ambiance of the Chemistry lounge and C-121 (the dance floor). Grasso selected tunes from the 90′s and contemporary pop to play at the event. Favorites included “Barbie Girl” and “Call Me Maybe.”
Even students from Rider’s SAACS enjoyed themselves at the party. TCNJ’s very own Samantha Iamurri gave Rider SCA club president Dan Gartenberg his very first manicure! It was fun for everyone! 
SCA wins “commendable” award @ 243rd National ACS Meeting
On Monday, March 26th, the TCNJ ACS student chapter was awarded a commendable plaque by the ACS Society Committee on Education (SOCED) at the 243rd National ACS meeting in San Diego, California.
The award recognizes Sarah Wehrhan and Dr. Benny Chan for their dedication to the TCNJ ACS student chapter during the 2010-2011 term.
In addition to the “commendable” award, the SOCED also offers “outstanding” to top ACS student chapters, as well as “honorable mention” and “Green” awards for chapters that promote green chemistry at their college or university.
Lindsay Baker and Manny Martinez were also awarded “Best Student Poster” at the physical chemistry poster session.
TCNJ represents @ 243rd National ACS Meeting
TCNJ students pose for a photo at the San Diego Zoo,
Over 20 students and faculty from the TCNJ Chemistry department flew to sunny San Diego to attend the 243rd national ACS meeting, which took place from March 25th through the 29th.
“The ACS meeting in San Diego was [...] amazing,” says senior Carolyn Garland. “I was able to hear talks pertaining to ideas discussed during my courses, present research I had worked hard on for four semesters, and explore an extraordinary city with my classmates.”
At the meeting, students were given the opportunity to network with graduate school recruiters, present their research, and attend lectures which ranged from “Chemistry in a Cup O’ java,” to the “Chemistry behind Allergies.” There was even a live webinar with Jorge Cham, the founder of PhD comics!
“I will always consider the ACS national meeting to be one of my most fond college memories,” says senior Lindsay Baker. “The convention center in San Diego was gorgeous, and I really enjoyed my time in the city.”
Also designated “senior class trip” by students of the TCNJ class of 2012, the ACS meeting enabled bonding among members of the chemistry department. Students and professors enjoyed a visit to the San Diego Zoo, dinners at delicious restaurants, and the many socials sponsored by the ACS Undergraduate Office.
“I’d recommend attending an ACS meeting to any undergraduate Chemistry student,” says Baker.
The next national ACS meeting will take place this August in Philadelphia. For more information on ACS meetings and how to register, visit their website.
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SCA makes Valentine’s Day special
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At 5 PM on Tuesday, February 14th, TCNJ student chemists gathered outside the doors of Eickhoff dining hall and decorated cupcakes with the Periodic Table of Elements. Approximately 240 vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were baked by Sodexo employees and then handed to SCA members to adorn with element symbols. Students entering and exiting the dining hall then had the opportunity to choose their favorite cupcake (element), either to enjoy for themselves or give to someone special.
“They’re no-commitment cupcakes,” explained SCA member Matthew Kita, as he took a bite out of ‘Bi,’ “what could be better?”
Indeed, the fact that the cupcakes were free made the event even more special. While it only took about 1.5 hours to disperse all of the cupcakes, it was the lasting effect of spreading a love for chemistry on Valentine’s Day that mattered most. It was a fun event for everyone!
2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,000 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 17 trips to carry that many people.
SCA volunteers @ Community Fest ’11
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On Saturday, October 29th, the SCA participated in TCNJ’s annual Community Fest. From 10 to 12 PM, children and adults of all ages mixed hydrogen peroxide with soap, food coloring, and yeast, to create “elephant toothpaste.” Unfortunately, an unexpected snow storm wiped out most of the activities and prevented the elephant toothpaste reaction from reaching its activation energy, forcing the group to leave at noon. Despite the weather, the children had a great time trying out the “mad scientist” role and can’t wait for next year’s community fest!
For more information on the science behind elephant toothpaste, see: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistrydemonstrations/a/elephanttooth.htm
SCA wins honorable mention in Liberty Science Center’s NCW contest
On Saturday, October 22nd, SCA won honorable mention in the Liberty Science Center’s ACS contest for the best student club presentation at the Chemistry Expo during National Chemistry Week. At the event, TCNJ students presented a poster on the harmful effects of packing peanuts on the environment. They were awarded $75. Pictures from the expose are shown below. Other schools that competed include FDU Madison, Kean, St. Elizabeth, Ramapo, and Princeton.
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