UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
OCTOBER 28, 1999
THURSDAY
MAGICAL ELEMENTS ARE COMPOUNDS OF CHEMISTRY WEEK By Ercilia Zolkiewicz StaffWriter
CO students and faculty members will celebrate National Chemistry Week, Nov. 7-13 with a host of events. The Department of Chemistry and the Student Affiliates of the American Chemistry Society (SAACS) will kick off National Chemistry week with an open house on Thursday Oct. 28. The UCO campus will be visited by forty high school students from Choctaw during the event. Dr. Mike Hellwege, chemistry professor, will entertain audiences with a chemistry magic show. The event is ,a highlight of the open house. The magic show begins at 9:30 a.m. in Howell Hall, Room 201. Students can experience hands-on activities and observe science demonstrations while touring the chemistry laboratories. UCO chemistry students, SAACS members, and faculty will be joining other area universities at Quail Springs Mall on Saturday Oct. 30. The group will present science — Staff photo by Chieko Hara demonstrations to mall shoppers Dr. Michael Ferguson mixes two different chemicals, polyvinylalcohol and borax, and makes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., said Dr. blue slime at the lab in Howell Hall. He will demonstrate some chemistry magic for the Cheryl Frech, associate professor of chemistry and public relations Chemistry Department's open house on Thursday during National Chemistry Week. ,d
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chair for the Oklahoma section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). "It will be in the Foley's court area," Frech said. "This gives students a chance to interact with students and faculty from other universities," she said. Each school will have a table and mall shoppers can experience chemistry through the demonstrations, Frech said. Magic shows will be performed throughout the day by Dr. John Ferguson, assistant professor of chemistry. Monday Nov. 8 is UCO's eighth annual Element Day event. UCO chemistry professors will dress up as their favorite chemical elements and parade through the chemistry classrooms. "Element Day is always a lot of fun and we (chemistry faculty) actually do parade through the classrooms dressed up as elements," Frech said. Outfitted chemistry professors have been featured in the national publication, Chemical and Engineering News. The "Best Element Day Costume" winner is announced on Friday Nov. 12, said Frech. "(Last year) I was chromium, dressed as a crow, but I didn't win," Frech said. Cupcakes decorated as the
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