CHS student honored at state science competition

Cohoes High School senior Meagan Mnich received third place/honors in her category of General Biology & Environmental Science at the New York State Eastern Section Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Meagan has been a member of the Science Research course at Cohoes High School for three years. The course, taught by Dr. Cheryl Isles, is a three-year course that  focuses mainly on independent study in which each student chooses their own topic to research for the duration of the course.

The course begins in the sophomore year of high school, where the students spend the year continuing to obtain knowledge on their topic, reading professional scientific journal articles to present at the annual Symposium and searching for mentors-individuals who are professionals in the field that the student is studying.

Following the sophomore year, the junior year is dedicated to the student designing and completing their own original experiment. The junior summer and senior year consist of the student writing a scientific paper based on their research to submit to competitions, such as the Eastern Section Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium.

As a result of her interest in the environment, Meagan researched acid rain. Her study involved testing three nearby ponds in the Grafton area: Dyken Pond, Long Pond and Shaver Pond for the effects of acid rain (in terms of pH and acid neutralizing capacity) and comparing them to one another. She also compared the nearby Grafton lakes to the heavily impacted Adirondack lakes to see if acid rain was as severe of a problem in the local area as it is in the Adirondacks.

Prior to the JSHS, Meagan spent time compiling all of her experimental data into a 20-page scientific paper and a PowerPoint presentation to be presented at the JSHS. There, she delivered the 10-12 minute presentation in front of fellow competitors and three judges from SUNY Albany and STANYS.

Meagan will serve as an alternate for the statewide competition held at the Holiday Inn Turf on Wolf Road on March 31-April 1, 2008.