This semester, the American Chemistry Society (ACS) student club RSO hosted several events to engage GGC students in some fun, hands-on chemistry. They welcomed students back to face to face campus events in August by having them make (and eat) liquid nitrogen ice cream, while learning about the chemistry involved.

In September, the club hosted a tie-dye event. Participants were invited to hang out on the lawn and make their own tie-dye t-shirts using supplies provided from RSO funding opportunities.

In October, the ACS Club celebrated both National Chemistry Week (NCW) and Halloween, through hands-on demonstrations. Several events were hosted on campus during NCW, to the NCW theme of “Fast or Slow… Chemistry Makes It Go!” In the first themed event, students demonstrated the Iodine Clock Reaction showing the effects of concentration on reaction rates. Mentos and Coca-Cola were also purchased, so that volunteers could create the famous Mentos and Coca-Cola volcano! For the second event, chem club members discussed the importance and history of Avogadro’s number during GuacaMole Day. Further, our motivated students also worked with the Super Science Day (S3) Committee to set up two virtual nights based upon the NCW theme and the Olympics: the effects of temperature on the reaction rates of glowsticks and pop-rocks were demonstrated to a middle school aged audience.

The Fernbank Science Center personally invited GGC ACS to create a video for their virtual NCW event. A GGC made video focusing on the effects of temperature on reaction rates of glowsticks and pop-rocks, and a chemiluminescence experiment to demonstrate the making of your own glow stick, was consequently used by Fernbank and deemed to be honest and authentic! On Saturday of NCW, we worked with SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) to create an interactive booth at GGC’s Grizzly Fest. The students had shaving foam art, edible glue, and giant bubbles. Leftover supplies were also taken to, and used for further entertainment, at the Chemistry Faculty and Student Picnic held on the same day.

For Halloween, the GGC lawn became the site of demonstrations for “self-craving” pumpkins, carbon snakes, and fake blood bags that volunteers could put a wooden skewer through to discover the science of polymers.

Towards the end of October, the ACS Student Communities cordially invited our GGC Student Chapter to participate in the creation of a new resource for outreach volunteers. We have been recruited as part of a cohort of up to 10 student groups to create chemistry demonstration videos for other outreach volunteers who wish to do virtual or in-person activities. This is a great opportunity for us to hone our video development and chemistry demonstration skills. We welcome this opportunity to develop our outreach skills, professionalize our online persona, and become a model for other outreach volunteers.

Both advisors, Dr. Gillian Rudd and Mrs. Veronica Sublett Breeden, along with three student members, will receive training on how to create chemistry videos as well as producing one for the ACS website.

The ACS Club is excited to offer more outreach and hands-on demonstrations in Spring 2022. Be a leader, and join the fun!