On Monday, February 16th, Mass Academy hosted its annual STEM Fair, in which Mass Academy juniors (and occasionally some seniors) present their science, engineering, and/or math projects they have been working on for the past 6 months to experts in the field. The fair is a great way for students to share their knowledge about their projects and perhaps learn about and apply for internships. However, it may be somewhat of a challenge to appreciate the fair for the celebration of knowledge that it is when keeping in mind the stakes of the event. 

So, how do you handle the stress and make sure you’re completely focused during STEM Fair? Here’s an interesting method: bringing tea. Suggested and used by Mohammad, drinking tea apparently helps with focus during the fair. There are other, maybe more orthodox, methods: talking to friends nearby, fidgeting, even just sitting down and relaxing. 

While STEM Fair can be a fairly stressful experience for students, once you’ve had your first couple of judges and the butterflies settle, it becomes quite fun. By 3 PM, the perhaps chaotic nature that comes with judging was beginning to subside and everyone was truly in touch with their project. Students, like Parnitha, who worked on a fascinating project about an apparent link between dementia and epilepsy, were super excited to share all about their project.

In that regard, there is still a lot to look forward to for students participating in the fair: 14 of the students will advance past this February STEM Fair, 12 will compete in the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair (WRSEF) and 2 students will compete directly in the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF). Whether or not students qualify to these fairs, they can continue their projects, presenting at symposiums and perhaps even coming back next year to participate in STEM Fair as a senior.