resolved on resolutions

Resolved...

on resolutions

By Collette Caprara

As the days of 2022 waned, and the prospect of the "tabula rasa" of this January approached, my thoughts turned to the topic of resolutions. Most of us can't resist the impulse to welcome the New Year as a new beginning in which we can improve our actions and behavior and conjure up a list of steps we can take to make this year a better one. That discussion with myself resulted in three basic " resolutions for resolutions" that could give them a better chance for longevity.

1. Formulate the changes we'd like to make in positive terms rather than terms of denial or what not to do. For example, "Do not eat sugary treats" could be stated as "Incorporate fruits and healthy alternatives in my diet as alternatives for sweets or desserts." It's just a little more enticing to see an image of what we'd like to do rather than the image of an object or action we want to avoid with a slash sign through it.

2. Translate general goals into specific measurable objectives. For example, "Get more exercise in 2023" could be reconfigured as "Walk for 30 minutes three days a week." This both allows us to track our progress but also provides a plan to recoup in the event of a slow start toward the week's goal.

3. Use the buddy system. Enlist a friend who has the same or similar goal as a partner in taking the steps to realize it. From personal experience, I know this can be a key to success, even down to the phrase "taking steps." And the buddy system has value beyond strengthening a resolution.

Years ago, when our sons were in middle school together, a friend and I began taking weekly walks together. In addition to providing an opportunity to limber up our joints and get some fresh air, we quickly realized that our walks also provided a great time together to compare notes on updates on their school and our neighborhood.

Soon, the "talk" became more important than the walk, and it took on a life of its own. As the years passed, and then the decades, and our sons moved on to new ventures of college and careers, our walking talks continued and were a foundational element of our week.

With time, the topics we discussed morphed from trading notes on the boys' ventures to talking about the best sleeping positions for an aching back or entering the stage when you begin to refer to your left knee and right knee as your "good knee" and "bad knee." Whatever the change in our external circumstances may be, the internal value of mutual support and camaraderie we share has remained invaluable. I have resolved: To the best of my ability, I will align my resolutions to these basic guidelines that experience has guided me to.

Collette Caprara is a local writer and artist.

Chemistry is Cool

students excited about stem

by Lisa Marvashti

Engineers from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division brought an assortment of robots to pique the minds and imaginations of fieldtripping elementary-s schoolers.

Elephant toothpaste. The giant glob of sudsy foam created in a classroom experiment gave Battlefield Elementary School student Aidan Muller a thought: "Chemistry is cool!"

The whimsical tooth wash hydrogen peroxide mixed with dish soap and a healthy dose of imagination - was part of a fall field trip designed to get students excited about STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) and educators comfortable with teaching them. Third- through fifthgraders in Spotsylvania County Public Schools ' Rising Scholars program swept through the University of Mary Washington, soaking up lessons on aquatic plants and outer space, and having upclose encounters with robots.

"It's a unique opportunity for these students to learn about real-world solutions being developed by scientists," said Michael Clark, director of academic engagement for the Chief Technology Michael Darnell, an engineer from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren

Division, acts as "Mike-B Bot" Students programmed him to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

:Battlefield Elementary School student Aidan Muller reacts to a chemistry experiment Assistant Professor of Education Melissa Wells taught "Experiencing STEM Through the Arts," combining principles of geology and dance. Covering concepts like weathering and erosion, Wells asked students to use their bodies to illustrate qualities of rocks - hard, heavy, sharp, smooth. "When we're creative that means that we try different things and solve problems in different ways," she said.

Office of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, which brought the robots to UMW's Fredericksburg campus. The base partnered with Mary Washington ' s College of Education, and departments of biology, chemistry and

physics, to host the elementary-school entourage - from 16 public schools on an exploration of topics, from kinetics to cosmology, and how the arts and humanities can tie them together.

Professor of Physics and Astronomy Matt Fleenor taught "Cosmology and You." Participants used balloons to explore the dynamics of volume and pressure, and how they relate to outer space. "I learned that the universe is future, past, known and unknown," said Spotsylvania Elementary School student Blake Bishop.

Senior Lecturer of Biology Michael Stebar offered "Double Double Toil and Trouble," focusing on photosynthesis. Students peered through microscopes to understand how the aquatic plant Cabomba produces oxygen. And Associate Professor of Chemistry Leanna Giancarlo shared the elephant toothpaste scenario, "Kinetics Chemistry," where participants investigated reaction rates.

For "Evolution of Robotics," NSWCDD scientists and engineers hauled actual military models -used for everything from above-ground explosive searches to underwater reconnaissance missions - into the Cedric Rucker University Center's Chandler Ballroom. An exercise that asked students to provide precise instructions for building a peanut butter and jelly sandwich gave them a taste of the types of clear and deliberate commands needed to code these machines

"What they were learning about - STEM activities, science experiments and robotics - ties into our curriculum, and we wanted to see it in action," said Brock Road Elementary School teacher Tammy Irwin. Plus, "It's great to expose

Professor of Physics Matt Fleenor uses balloons to illustrate the principles of space.

the kids to college. It gets them thinking about the future."

Lisa Marvashti is the Director of Media and Public Relations Photos by Suzanne Carr Rossi