Astronomy themed outreach event impacts the future of science

By Ryan, October 1, 2015

By Alexis Ancel, News Editor//

Following last year’s success, the High Point University Department of Physics hosted its second annual “HPUniverse Day,” an astronomy themed outreach event that aims to make science fun and interesting for kids of all ages.
This event held on Sept. 18 included a variety of 20 different activities ranging from bottle rocket launching, telescope observing and informational presentations.
Dr. Brad Barlow, assistant professor of astrophysics, brought the event to HPU by modeling it after a similar event held at Pennsylvania State University designed to increase enthusiasm for the space sciences.
“There aren’t too many outlets for astronomy in the Triad. There’s a thirst for learning new things about astronomy and technology. Our event touches on the most accessible parts of that,” Barlow said.
Despite the expected turnout of around 300 people, over 1,000 people came to participate at last year’s event. Because of this positive response, more space was required and planned for this year, and stations were able to spread out on all floors of Congdon Hall as well as on the promenade.
Due also to the unexpected success, more stations and activities were available this year including a jeopardy station and hovercraft rides. Rides on these HPU student-designed hovercrafts were immensely popular, funding for which came from a proposal granted by the SGA.
Approximately 55 HPU volunteers ran the event, double the amount of the previous year, as well as collaboration with several students from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Student involvement is a large aspect of what made this day such a success. HPU sophomore Alan Vasquez spent a great deal of time designing the hovercraft and making improvements, then seeing this hard work in action.
“It was so rewarding to see these children getting excited about science. To see them walk away grinning from ear to ear because of the activities we have for them makes all of the work we put into this event worth it,” Vasquez said.
There was also a presentation from the HPU students who created the “Chip n Ship” device and participated in NASA’s Micro-g NExT program, as well as a meet and greet station where the kids could talk to and interact with the students.
Upon entry, each participant was given HPUniverse Day “passports” that were stamped at each station they visited, which could later be exchanged for a prize. This was done to create a sense of ownership of wanting to explore different topics.
These activities aim to engage kids in science and astronomy with the hope that it will inspire them to pursue careers in the sciences.
“This is a huge event, not only for the physics department but for the university as a whole because of the number of young students that are drawn to campus to participate in this event. It is a way for the Society of Physics Students to show off all of our demos that get kids interested in STEM fields in an interactive way,” Hallie Stidham, senior, said.
“HPUniverse Day” was a free event open to the public that provided a unique and fun experience relatable to every child on some level. As Dr. Barlow said, “If one kid walks away from this saying, ‘I have to study science, I have to pursue this,’ we’ve won.”