Minden students win at regional science fair

Five Minden Elementary School students found what Plato said about necessity being the mother of invention to be true after they won awards at the Western Regional Science and Engineering Fair and Lemelson Young Inventor's Challenge in Reno, March 8-10.

Jacob Galliett's necessity was to be entertained while riding in the car. The judges must have been entertained as well because, in addition to the third-place trophy for the fifth-graders, Jacob won a glass award for having an outstandingly fun invention.

Jacob's invention, Finger Boards, is placed over the middle and index fingers and used to "surf" in the wind outside the window of a moving car.

"They can be surf boards or snow or skateboards," said Jacob, 11. "I did the invention myself because our class had to do it. It's real fun."

Jennie Stokes needed something to cool hot liquids. She was the sixth-grade first-place winner for her Frozo-Spoon invention.

"I thought about it because I like soup - like, a lot. I put ice cubes in it but it makes it watery and ruins the taste," said Jennie, 11.

Her invention is two metal spoons separated by hardware and a washer and after three hours in the freezer, Frozo-Spoon is ready to use.

"It cools down anything real hot that's liquid - soup, hot cocoa, coffee," she said.

Bodie Kendall's mother was behind the necessity of an invention. Bodie was the second-place sixth-grade winner for his Re-Organizer invention.

"My mom wanted an organizer for the refrigerator and the one she got was really bad - it would fall off," said Bodie, 11. "She said, 'Hey Bodie, you should build a better one.'"

Bodie went to the dollar store to get the supplies for his invention but had bigger ideas for a dream Re-Organizer invention.

"It would have a TV screen with touch buttons with a schedule for today and like that," he said.

Third-grader Elsa Schollmaier received an honorable mention for her science fair project, Germs are Germy. She needed to find the most effective way to keep her hands clean.

"My mom is always smelling my hands," said Elsa, 9.

Elsa tested six items from soap to a 10 percent bleach solution to find which was the best at disinfecting a cutting board that had lunch meat left on it overnight.

"I noticed you could just use normal soap," Elsa concluded.

She said her family helped with the experiment and with their support.

"Mom and Dad helped," Elsa said. "Grandpa wrote me a note that told me to do the best I could. I carried the note around in my pocket and had it in my hand while I was interviewed by the judges."

Also receiving honorable mention is sixth-grader Hunter Myers for his Battery Life science project.