Mother of Sorrows: Students work hard for PJAS

By Melissa Williams Brown
Contributing Writer

MURRYSVILLE – Ever wonder if Duracell batteries really live up to their reputation as being the longest-lasting battery?

Mother of Sorrows School eighth-grader William Vargo answered that question as his project for a Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) competition.

He and his classmates are looking forward to competing in the PJAS competition again this year, presenting individual projects in one of 12 research categories.

Under the guidance of sponsor Kristen Morton, the school’s sixth- through eighth-grade science teacher, students analyze data, draw conclusions and prepare a presentation for judges.

Eighth-grader Nicholas D’Cruze last year tested different methods of composting to determine which one is the best.

“I disproved my hypothesis that the organic method would work best, that using a compost accelerator actually worked the best,” Nicholas said.

This year he intends to test aerodynamics of different car designs, using a 3D printer to create different models.

“I think the F-1 model will work the best,” he said.

Eighth-grader Krista Denslinger competed in the computer science category last year.

“I tried to write a program on Scratch to teach a computer to play tic-tac-toe. This year, I am going to test the effect of Wi-Fi signals on plant growth. I’m not sure what to predict yet, because I still have to do more research,” she said.

Last year, William proved that Duracell batteries do live up to their reputation.

“I proved my hypothesis correct that Duracell batteries were the longest lasting. However, Great Value almost beat Duracell, which was surprising,” he said. “This year I will be testing different brands of water and their properties. I predict that bottled water will be the purest.”