Oohs and aahs filled the room Tuesday evening as children dressed as witches, werewolves and vampires watched exploding eggs, colorful flames and oozing Jack-O-Lanterns at King’s College.
Rosely Espinoza, 7, of Wilkes-Barre, who volunteered to dip a flower in liquid nitrogen, and then made chromatography ghosts, shared her favorite part of the experience.
“I liked it because it was cool, and you got to explode things,” she said, noting a particular interest in the Jack-O-Lantern that oozed industrial-grade elephant toothpaste.
Her response captured the spirit of the 27th annual “Things that Go Boom in the Night,” which offered an evening of interactive, Halloween-themed science activities.
Developing an interest in science
Julie Belanger, a chemistry professor at King’s College who led some of the demonstrations, said the event is designed to spark children’s early interest in science.
“They can get their hands-on experience with science, doing activities, making slime, making snow. They get to see some interesting hands-on demonstrations with physics and chemistry,” Belanger said. “I think it's great to really fuel their interest in science and get their creativity and interest going for it.”
It was all smiles for Luke, 6, and Kaylee Blewitt, 5, of Shavertown, who were dressed as Pokemon characters, as they watched balloon animals shrivel after they dipped them in liquid nitrogen.
“They're so excited about this,” said their grandmother Joan Blewitt, who had a 42-year career at King’s. “It's like he can't stay in his seat.”
Luke and Kaylee’s father and Joan Blewitt’s son, J.C. Blewitt, is also a professor at King’s. Joan Blewitt said encouraging kids in science experiments at “Things that Go Boom in the Night” is an integral part of the King’s community.
“These professors do such a fabulous job with the experiments, and these kids are so smart,” she said. “We always look forward to this.”
After children watched professors from the department of chemistry and physics demonstrate a gummy bear reaction and hydrogen balloon explosion, they joined King’s College students in hands-on, up-close physics and chemistry activities.
Finding the spark
Laura Nemeth, a third-year pre-professional physician assistant student at King's College, volunteered at the slime-making station. She said she sees how the event can spark kids’ curiosity about chemistry and physics.
“As we saw in the other room with the explosions, it's something so cool that just draws their attention in and kind of gets that ball rolling for their interest in science," she said. "And then I think once they walk around, they kind of see it in person more and get to actually touch it, and it continues that interest."
This year was Nemeth's first time volunteering.
“It’s so nice to see such a big community come out to King's, and it's fun to see so many people come together for something so cool,” she said.
