HPUniverse Day inspires local kids to pursue science
One of the many student volunteers helps children from the Triad community launch bottle rockets at HPUniverse Day. Photo By: Jeffrey Horn
By Devon Wilkinson// Staff Writer
Student volunteers help give kids hovercraft rides, one of the most popular events held at HPUniverse Day. Photo By: highpoint.edu
On Sept. 30 High Point University hosted HPUniverse Day, a community-wide science exploration event. This year’s event marked the third consecutive year that HPU’s Department of Physics has hosted the event.
The department holds this event free-of-charge and is open to the public in the hopes that Triad residents will come out to participate in a night of space, science and beyond.
Dozens of activities including bottle rocket launching, telescope observing and other information lectures and demonstrations entertained kids of all ages.
Student involvement is a large aspect of what made this event possible. More than 50 HPU students and staff members volunteered to help with the event.
Dr. Brad Barlow, head organizer of the event and assistant professor of astrophysics, said, “It gives us an excuse to get together and play with flame tubes, homemade hover crafts, water bottle rocket launchers and frozen carbon dioxide as part of our job. ”
HPUniverse Day was also a way for HPU students and staff to give back to the local community.
“I think it’s important for us to give back to the community in every way we can,” Barlow said. “While food drives, fundraisers and other community volunteering efforts are certainly crucial components of our service outreach at HPU, I think it’s also important we give back to the community in an academic sense.”
The goal of HPUniverse day is to get kids to learn in a fun way just how fascinating science can be. The hope is that introducing kids to science at a young age will motivate them to explore a career in the sciences in the future.
“This event is heavily focused on sparking a kid’s interest in science,” said Alan Vasquez, vice president of the Society of Physics Students. “Scientists, whether you’re a physicist, biologist or chemist, are in high demand. By bringing kids from the community to HPUniverse day, we hope to inspire them so they might pursue a career in one of the sciences.”
After several months of planning and preparation, as well as the dedication and time of dozens of students and staff, Vasquez’s one hope was that this event would ultimately spark a passion for science.
“I would spend weeks and weeks helping to organize HPUniverse day if we are able to inspire the mind of just one kid that came out to this event,” Vasquez said. “If all we accomplish is getting one student interested in pursuing a career in science, then that will have been a successful evening for me.”