Howdy from Texas! People, contrary to popular belief, don’t actually say that here (at least in Houston) unless they’re trying to radiate their Texanness. They also don’t necessarily walk around in cowboy boots with a straw in their mouth. [I have such bad generalizations of people]. They do, however have those rugged Southern accents. Accents in Kentucky or Louisiana are so sweet and mellifluous, while Texan accents really hit you. It’s funny because I’ve travelled so much, yet barely in the US, so my general perception of the country is a bit skewed. This is my first time so far southwest, so it’s kind of like an unknown world for me.
Houston is an interesting city. 4th largest in the country, every 5th person is foreign born. I’m sure in this statistic, they account for the massive amount of illegal immigrants from various countries. Some parts of Houston remind me of Dubai, others of Florida, and some even of India. But even if Texas isn’t that far from home, this is the most cultural immersion I’ve ever had. Over 70 different countries are represented at I-SWEEEP. For example, the other day, I had breakfast with people from Azerbaijan, lunch with Macedonians, coffee with South Africans, and went swimming with Americans. Every minute, I notice new countries, like Tunisia or Belarus. And what’s even more amazing is that we all have something in common—we’re geeks. Okay, on a larger scale, what we have in common is one, the love we share to make a change; two, unique cultures; and three, science. Even more than all this, when we talk to each other about the minuscule details of our lives, we realize we aren’t so different. If you compare 200-meter relay times between a South African and a New Yorker, sure, the South African will naturally be faster, but what’s important is that it’s something they have in common. At one point in the fair, the Macedonians (whose booths were around mine) burst into song and dance, and except for the language, it looked like something I would probably do.
I truly do think that the greatest part of I-SWEEEP isn’t the world-changing science (which itself is incredible on all levels), but the world connections. It opens your eyes. Before this trip, I had briefly heard of Macedonia from forced studying for GeoBees, imagining it to be an insignificant country in the middle of nowhere. But who would’ve thought that in Macedonia, some of the world’s most brilliant people have emerged, ones who are going to Cambridge, Harvard, and MIT on invitation. Who would’ve realized that there, they wear skinny jeans and t-shirts like us. It’s such an odd feeling to realize all this, the way we’re so connected. You can just go up to someone and ask where they’re from, prompting a conversation comparing countries. Then there are us Americans, who argue over the best state (Vermont wins for Ben & Jerry’s, skiing, and maple syrup) and how, compared to everyone, our country is so run-of-the-mill. Of course, I have India to talk about—but then again, no place is home other than Vermont. While we would have these conversations, all the foreign kids would constantly talk about how they felt like they were in an American movie, how our conversations simulated those movies impeccably. It’s funny because when the French visited, they said the same thing! I guess Hollywood is legit.
The opening ceremony here was amazing. Although the fair is only five years running, the intricacy and authenticity is mind-blowing. Several respected speakers delivered speeches (including a three-time Harvard grad), while various countries displayed their ethnic dance. Unfortunately, the opening ceremony was literally five minutes after I arrived, so the tension kept me from enjoying it as much I would’ve liked to. Classic me.
We kick-started Friday morning with a public visit, where over 3,000 people came to look at our projects. There were young kids who had a school assignment to talk to a variety of people, but it was evident that they were uninterested most of the time. That’s completely understandable, because the type of science here is extremely complex, which makes it difficult to explain on simple terms. I didn’t understand most of them myself, to be honest. There was this one girl, however, who kept on returning to my project, because she enjoyed the fact that I had used Petri dishes, which, in science, is a pretty usual thing. She had used them in a recent project she completed, and as I explained my use for them, she began to jump around with excitement at the familiar terminology. But it worked! It made her interested about my topic, and that’s what science is essentially about….connections. In a sense, all of our projects at the fair are connected in some way or another.
Although I opted for the mundane title “The Effects of Flow Rates on Purification of Water using Bio-Sand Filters” over “Let’s Clean Water!!!!!!!”, my project hopefully was not mundane. In a general summary, I used sand filters to test how flow rates (speed of water through a filter) affect filtration of water (faster flow rates are better, if you’re interested!). Although my project is relatively simple and a minute detail of purification, I think what interested judges, and myself, is that sand filters are not as known today, but are becoming more popular. More than that, I worked to perfect one aspect out of many for clean water, which is one step ahead of where we were before.
I found another kid in the fair who also used biosand filters, which is almost an unknown concept. His methods varied so much, but seeing his project helped me understand mine better, and vice versa. Across from me, a guy from Florida genetically engineered rice. Near me, a girl went to schools in Africa and did tests to find the best learning environment. There was one group from Arizona who set up secret cameras in forests after a forest fire to see the wildlife action in relation to the fire. The projects were life-changing, and that’s an understatement. I was surrounded by kids who will actually change the world, or actually have already.
But besides changing the world and all, they’re normal kids. Ysou would typically expect social-outcast geeks to be at something like an international science fair, but that’s far from the truth. We had a social event, which was basically an event of forced interactions and awkwardness. It’s so much more natural to meet someone as you find something in common unintentionally, rather than forcefully going up to them and making a connection. A group of people and I ditched early to head to the pool, which was on the 24th floor of the beautiful Hilton of Americas. Next to the pool was the skyline, where you could see the entire city from the rooftop. For an hour or so, my fear of heights barely phased me. Rather, I was captivated. This was the night of the super moon, which wasn’t as evident in Houston. But lying on the chaise and looking at the clouds float by was good enough, as the city lights radiated the sky. It was so lively, on a level different from New York (which is too lively sometimes). There was this gentle balance of peace and life.
Yesterday was the awards ceremony, the part we all were looking forward to. I imagined that I would go away with nothing, but I was happy with the experience, and I say this sincerely. The fact that I made it to the fair was big enough for me, and the fact that I met such incredible people made the entire experience. As they read off awards and familiar faces stepped onto the stage, I couldn’t help but feel honored to know them. In the middle of the ceremony, a Congresswoman from Yale spoke. But as she began to speak, I almost felt as if I was watching a commencement address. She was genuine in the way she spoke, making the cliché of speeches like this worth listening to. She said that the fact that we were here, 400 best projects from 2500 entries, took us steps ahead to changing the world. She said that it’s not about the awards or recognition, while those are phenomenal, but about the change. And my favorite line of hers—-she told us that awards challenge our heads, while the change we choose to make is from our hearts. Wow. I think it’s a dream of mine to be a commencement speaker one day, to be able to deliver a speech that will change someone’s life. Bucket list new edition.
As the Honorable Mentions for my category, environment, rolled in, I began to grip my armrest. I realized that maybe I could’ve gotten one. As it passed and Vermont wasn’t called, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. When Bronze was being announced, I crossed my fingers, but didn’t have much hope. They, however, announced my name in the middle (butchering it of course), and all I could do was smile. The kids around me were my friends, ones who had innovative projects, and I was actually being compared to them. When the gold medalists came around (14 people in each category), project after project were people from booths around me, people I spent 7.5 hours on judging day with, laughing and talking. As they announced the grand winners, I couldn’t help but feel emotional myself ( have a problem with my emotions….). The winners in environment were the girls from New York who were next to my booth, one of whom is attending Yale in the fall. As they were laughing and smiling up there, I realized that if I were up there, I would be crying my eyes out. In fact, some of the gold medalists were crying heavily. Winner of an international science fair. It’s huge.
I spent last night with everyone I had met, hanging out by the skyline and exchanging names for Facebook. Of course, we went around congratulating everyone, because everyone deserved it. And a bronze for me is good enough (plus $200). This is actually making me excited for next year, because I’m convinced to do another project. I have so many ideas to start this summer, and I think I’m finally beginning to appreciate science.
Oh my, I’m so sorry for that long post. Internet was iffy, as well as time, so I just kind of blurted everything out. This was, as you can see, an incredible experience. And even though I may never go into science, journalism is broad. Anything helps journalists. One day, I could be working for a science journal or be reporting live from these international science fairs. Who knows, I could even be reporting about one of my friends from the fair and their science accomplishments. Who knows where life takes you. One day, I might work with these people or see them in the industry.
For now, I have one more fair (Stockholm Junior), and possibly two, if I win that one and go to Stockholm (unlikely). But for now, I’ll be back in Vermont in a few hours! I’ll miss the warm weather greatly.
[Time to start studying for my AP, which is Wednesday. Help.]
-B
