December Fair usually marks the first “big” checkpoint in a junior’s STEM I experience, and occurred on December 12th. This fair serves as a way to prepare juniors for the judging during February Fair, where students are judged by alumni and experts in their fields. As the new juniors prepared their pitches and posters, seniors were invited to judge their current projects and progress, and this experience reminded a few of their own December Fair experiences. 

Senior Joseph Yu recalls his anxiety prior to the fair last year. When asked about his sentiments this time last year, he explained that “As a junior presenting my work at the science fair, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had to craft my presentation and prepare for questions from judges that required a significant amount of effort. However, I appreciated that the judges were seniors, as it helped the fair seem less high-stakes and helped me calm my nerves as I noticed familiar faces around me.” He hopes that the juniors also find a similar feeling of calmness as they realize their judges are just their peers. 

Additionally, the December Fair was slightly different this year, as Dr. Crowther, the STEM instructor at Mass Academy, debuted a new category for judging on the rubric. This new rubric now had a category to denote overall project progress, as a way to hopefully help the juniors quantify how much of their projects they have completed.  

Yu had his own thoughts and reflected on the judging process, by explaining that “as a senior judging other projects, the dynamic has shifted. Having been on the presenting side, I approach evaluations with empathy and understanding. I appreciate the hard work and dedication each participant has invested. Assessing projects at Mass Academy allows me to witness the diverse range of research, and how it shifts from year-to-year. It's fulfilling to contribute to the growth of the juniors, and the experience offers a holistic perspective on the multifaceted nature of scientific exploration. The new rubric is more inclusive too, of overall time and project-management skills, which are some of the biggest takeaways I’ve had from MAMS.”