North Carolina Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative Dr. Fran Nolan, Executive Director c/o North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 West Jones Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1029 919.733.7450 Extension 260 |
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Young N.C. scientists launch onto international stage
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – March 13, 2009 -- Fueled by insatiable curiosities and months of hard work, four North
Carolina high school students will jet off to China on March 17 where they will compete in the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Competition.
Students were chosen to present their science projects in the international exhibit after winning top honors at the North Carolina
International Science Challenge (NCISC), a statewide high school science competition that is a collaborative project of the North
Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center (SMT Center) and the North Carolina Grassroots Science
Museums Collaborative (GSMC). They include Eileen Jang and Darren F. Zhu, both students at North Carolina School of Science
and Mathematics in Durham; Shara Weaver, who attends JD Clement Early College High School in Durham, and Brandon F.
Young, a student at William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh.
During their seven-day trip to Beijing, the students will interact with young scientists from other countries, and partake in
sightseeing stops including a visit to the Great Wall of China.
Nancy Sung, a senior program officer with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, judged the most recent NCISC, and helped whittle
down the list of contenders. “I was very impressed,” Sung said of the students’ work. “The level of depth was amazing to see, at
this age. They’d clearly made a huge commitment not only in terms of their time, but in terms of the mental space they’d given
their projects.”
Sung said the winners were selected based upon whether they understood the science and their articulation of their
understanding and the project. Judges also looked for students harboring natural curiosity, she said.
Traveling with the students will be Dr. Fran Nolan, executive director of GSMC; J.B. Buxton, SMT Center board member; Melissa
Bartlett, member of the North Carolina State Board of Education; Karen Giroux, director of research and collections at the North
Carolina Museum of Natural Science; Ira Trollinger, superintendent of McDowell County Schools, and Robin Bergeron, director of
Health Education, Guilford County Schools.
This is the fourth year that Dr. Nolan will lead the N.C. delegation to China. He notes that the Beijing Association for Science and
Technology organizes the BYSCC and invites about 10 foreign countries to compete, as a way to honor the students.
“The key word in this that I point out to people is ‘creation,’ because innovation is all about scientific creation. That used to be just
an American domain, but the Chinese are trying to improve on this. And this competition is one way to facilitate an exchange of
international ideas,” Dr. Nolan said.
Students from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Ukraine, and Singapore, as well
as the United States and China, will be participating in the exhibit.
The students from North Carolina will be blogging while they are at the event. The public can follow their travels by reading their
blog at: http://www.Grassroots-Science.org.
Further information about the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition may be obtained by contacting the SMT Center at 919-
991-5111, or emailing Lisa Rhoades at: lrhoades@bwfund.org. or visit their website SMT Education Center
Carolina high school students will jet off to China on March 17 where they will compete in the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Competition.
Students were chosen to present their science projects in the international exhibit after winning top honors at the North Carolina
International Science Challenge (NCISC), a statewide high school science competition that is a collaborative project of the North
Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center (SMT Center) and the North Carolina Grassroots Science
Museums Collaborative (GSMC). They include Eileen Jang and Darren F. Zhu, both students at North Carolina School of Science
and Mathematics in Durham; Shara Weaver, who attends JD Clement Early College High School in Durham, and Brandon F.
Young, a student at William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh.
During their seven-day trip to Beijing, the students will interact with young scientists from other countries, and partake in
sightseeing stops including a visit to the Great Wall of China.
Nancy Sung, a senior program officer with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, judged the most recent NCISC, and helped whittle
down the list of contenders. “I was very impressed,” Sung said of the students’ work. “The level of depth was amazing to see, at
this age. They’d clearly made a huge commitment not only in terms of their time, but in terms of the mental space they’d given
their projects.”
Sung said the winners were selected based upon whether they understood the science and their articulation of their
understanding and the project. Judges also looked for students harboring natural curiosity, she said.
Traveling with the students will be Dr. Fran Nolan, executive director of GSMC; J.B. Buxton, SMT Center board member; Melissa
Bartlett, member of the North Carolina State Board of Education; Karen Giroux, director of research and collections at the North
Carolina Museum of Natural Science; Ira Trollinger, superintendent of McDowell County Schools, and Robin Bergeron, director of
Health Education, Guilford County Schools.
This is the fourth year that Dr. Nolan will lead the N.C. delegation to China. He notes that the Beijing Association for Science and
Technology organizes the BYSCC and invites about 10 foreign countries to compete, as a way to honor the students.
“The key word in this that I point out to people is ‘creation,’ because innovation is all about scientific creation. That used to be just
an American domain, but the Chinese are trying to improve on this. And this competition is one way to facilitate an exchange of
international ideas,” Dr. Nolan said.
Students from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Ukraine, and Singapore, as well
as the United States and China, will be participating in the exhibit.
The students from North Carolina will be blogging while they are at the event. The public can follow their travels by reading their
blog at: http://www.Grassroots-Science.org.
Further information about the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition may be obtained by contacting the SMT Center at 919-
991-5111, or emailing Lisa Rhoades at: lrhoades@bwfund.org. or visit their website SMT Education Center
North Carolina International Science Challenge (NCISC), Competitors
NCGSMC China 2009
Shara Weaver is an eighteen year old student attending Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College
High School in Durham, North Carolina. She participates in the school yearbook committee and
enjoys helping in finding ways to broaden the range of school activities. Shara volunteers at
African Advocates Against Aids by promoting AIDS awareness and prevention. She is a
participant of the North Carolina Project SEED program. The program enables her to conduct
research on the effects of cocaine on the brain at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Department of Chemistry. Shara also enjoys running track and swimming during her spare time.
High School in Durham, North Carolina. She participates in the school yearbook committee and
enjoys helping in finding ways to broaden the range of school activities. Shara volunteers at
African Advocates Against Aids by promoting AIDS awareness and prevention. She is a
participant of the North Carolina Project SEED program. The program enables her to conduct
research on the effects of cocaine on the brain at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Department of Chemistry. Shara also enjoys running track and swimming during her spare time.
Eileen Jang, 17, is a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North
Carolina. Eileen explores her interests in science by serving as President of the Health Occupations
Students of America organization as well as Co-Captain of the Science Olympiad team at her school. She
has conducted research through the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University as well as through a
research course at her school. Eileen is also an active community volunteer and varsity softball player
who loves sunny days spent playing catch on the field.
Carolina. Eileen explores her interests in science by serving as President of the Health Occupations
Students of America organization as well as Co-Captain of the Science Olympiad team at her school. She
has conducted research through the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University as well as through a
research course at her school. Eileen is also an active community volunteer and varsity softball player
who loves sunny days spent playing catch on the field.
Darren Zfu, 16, is a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where he is a
residential life assistant, president of the Asian Cultures Club, member of the Honor Council, and active
member of various academic, science, and mathematics clubs, including Quiz Bowl, Science Bowl and Math
Club. In addition, he is a member of the varsity tennis team, having played on the NCHSAA 1A State
Champion team as a junior. Darren is also a dedicated pianist, having attended the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts as an eighth grader for piano. He performs frequently at UNCSA and NCSSM as
both a solo pianist and piano accompanist, and has spent many hours giving volunteer recitals at retirement
communities. Darren’s work in organic spintronics fabrication has been recognized by the Siemens
Competition as a National Semifinalist and the NC International Science Competition as a presenter at the
Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. His mentors are Dr. Wei You, Jeremy Niskala, and Myra Halpin.
residential life assistant, president of the Asian Cultures Club, member of the Honor Council, and active
member of various academic, science, and mathematics clubs, including Quiz Bowl, Science Bowl and Math
Club. In addition, he is a member of the varsity tennis team, having played on the NCHSAA 1A State
Champion team as a junior. Darren is also a dedicated pianist, having attended the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts as an eighth grader for piano. He performs frequently at UNCSA and NCSSM as
both a solo pianist and piano accompanist, and has spent many hours giving volunteer recitals at retirement
communities. Darren’s work in organic spintronics fabrication has been recognized by the Siemens
Competition as a National Semifinalist and the NC International Science Competition as a presenter at the
Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. His mentors are Dr. Wei You, Jeremy Niskala, and Myra Halpin.
Brandon Young is a seventeen-year-old student attending William G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, North
Carolina. He participates in extracurricular activities such as National Honors Society, the Enloe Marshall
program, Varsity Football, Science Club, volunteering at Wake Med Hospital in Cary, and of course
spending time with friends. Brandon has recently been selected with three other students to take part in
the 2009 Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. This is a result of Brandon’s research done over
the summer of 2008 in the Molecular and Structural Biochemistry Department at North Carolina State
University. He conducted his research under the direct supervision of Dr. Clay Clark. With this research
Brandon has also finished first in the American Chemical Society (North Carolina) poster presentation.
Brandon also serves as a senior student representative to the North Carolina State Board of Education in
which he ensures that students’ voices from across the state are heard.
Carolina. He participates in extracurricular activities such as National Honors Society, the Enloe Marshall
program, Varsity Football, Science Club, volunteering at Wake Med Hospital in Cary, and of course
spending time with friends. Brandon has recently been selected with three other students to take part in
the 2009 Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. This is a result of Brandon’s research done over
the summer of 2008 in the Molecular and Structural Biochemistry Department at North Carolina State
University. He conducted his research under the direct supervision of Dr. Clay Clark. With this research
Brandon has also finished first in the American Chemical Society (North Carolina) poster presentation.
Brandon also serves as a senior student representative to the North Carolina State Board of Education in
which he ensures that students’ voices from across the state are heard.
Day to Day from our team in Beijing
Melissa Bartlett’s Beijing Blog
3/18/09 Day one
3:45 p.m. Beijing Time – We just arrived in Beijing after a great flight – food was great and the unlimited on demand videos were to
die for! I’m in the van now with the rest of the troupe and we’re tearing across the city toward our hotel. It’s 75 degress –
abnormally warm for here and I would suspect this may be a related cause for the extreme smog – it’s as if we’re really near a
great forest fire….
10:15 p.m. We finally are back in our rooms, beds turned down by housekeeping and they even left us treats – cherry tomatoes!
That’s much healthier than chocolate on the pillow and really refreshing too!!
Stay tuned!
Robin Bergeron-Nolan Beijing Blog
March 19, 2009
We left Greensboro on March 17th to arrive in Beijing on March 19th.
Long, but smooth plane ride from US to China. Yesterday, Fran and I
got settled in our room before meeting and having dinner with delegates
from the other countries. Short stoll after dinner with other members
of the US team. The temperature was unusually warm...high 70s. Up at
5:00 a.m. this morning and ready to meet US and other team members for
breakfast at 7:20 a.m. All teams will meet BAST officials this morning
and the students will set up their displays this afternoon. Long day
ahead of us. All for now.
3/18/09 Day one
3:45 p.m. Beijing Time – We just arrived in Beijing after a great flight – food was great and the unlimited on demand videos were to
die for! I’m in the van now with the rest of the troupe and we’re tearing across the city toward our hotel. It’s 75 degress –
abnormally warm for here and I would suspect this may be a related cause for the extreme smog – it’s as if we’re really near a
great forest fire….
10:15 p.m. We finally are back in our rooms, beds turned down by housekeeping and they even left us treats – cherry tomatoes!
That’s much healthier than chocolate on the pillow and really refreshing too!!
Stay tuned!
Robin Bergeron-Nolan Beijing Blog
March 19, 2009
We left Greensboro on March 17th to arrive in Beijing on March 19th.
Long, but smooth plane ride from US to China. Yesterday, Fran and I
got settled in our room before meeting and having dinner with delegates
from the other countries. Short stoll after dinner with other members
of the US team. The temperature was unusually warm...high 70s. Up at
5:00 a.m. this morning and ready to meet US and other team members for
breakfast at 7:20 a.m. All teams will meet BAST officials this morning
and the students will set up their displays this afternoon. Long day
ahead of us. All for now.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Darren Zhu
Day 1:
Today, we arrived in Beijing, China at around 2 pm. Although the trip to Beijing was relatively long (I got up at 6 am for a 8:50
flight from RDU to Newark, where we waited until 12:15 for a 14 hour flight to Beijing), the flight went very smoothly, and I had an
opportunity to try to begin adjusting to the twelve hour time difference in Beijing. Once we got to Beijing, we were greeted by our
two Chinese facilitators, Joey and Wang, who directed us to our hotel, West International Trade Hotel. There, we moved all of our
stuff into the hotel room (which we found to be very nice) and settled in before we headed down to dinner. Having visited Beijing
nearly five years ago, I was definitely very surprised by the advancements and changes that had occurred in the city. In addition,
having not been exposed to traditional Chinese culture in a long time, I found it very culturally invigorating watching the Chinese
television programs with Brandon and just interacting with the native Chinese people. At dinner, we ate a very traditional dinner,
including dishes of chicken feet, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, fungus, fish, and, of course, rice. To cap off the night, we met the
delegations of the other nations, which included students from Korea, New Zealand, Ukraine, Denmark, Australia, and several
other countries.
Day 2:
We primarily spent our time meeting the students from other countries today. We began the day eating an early breakfast at 7:30
in the morning, which again incorporated elements of a very traditional Chinese meal, as we ate Chinese porridge, pork buns, and
several other dishes. Afterwards, we returned to our room, before boarding a bus to the Beijing Assocation of Science and
Technology (BAST) headquarters. There, we had the opportunity to talk to the New Zealanders, whom we found to be extremely
energetic and entertaining. One of them in particular relayed many of the elements of New Zealand culture to us, which we found
to be very similar in general to the American culture, although they tended to place emphasis on different things (such as sports).
In addition, we passed by the Olympic Stadiums (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube), which I found to be extremely fascinating. Once we
arrived at BAST, we proceed with our formal delegation welcoming and greeting. There, we were able to see the extent of the
international collaboration that had been enabled through this conference, as we were introduced to every present delegate. After
these introductions, we watched a brief video detailing the history and objectives of BAST and the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Conference, followed by an exchange of gifts by the leaders of each delegate. We personally all received decorated containers
featuring traditional Chinese opera elements while Dr. Nolan gave several decorated Wright brothers’ plane memorabilia. After
this exchange, we took a group photo outside of the building and then moved to lunch, where we had a self-serve buffet, featuring
more traditional dishes. We ate this lunch with the Australian students, who again discussed differences and similarities in culture,
education, and perceptions with us, which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful.
Afterwards, we headed to the middle school and high school where the actual conference would be taking place. Along the way,
we again interacted with the New Zealanders, who surprised and entertained us by recognizing and singing several American
songs along the way. At the middle and high school, which was extremely large and equipped with very nice and modern facilities,
we saw our posters for the first time and mounted them. We also got a chance to view the research that the students from the
other countries had completed, as well as the Chinese students who actually were in the competition. I found the research overall
to be extremely impressive and of high-quality, so I look forward to listening to the presentations of these projects in the next
couple of days.
Once we finished this set-up, we moved back to the hotel, where we ate dinner and continued interacting with the other students.
By the end of the day, we were really fighting off our jet lag, as our entire group struggled to stay awake after dinner. However, we
have just been asked by the New Zealanders to go karaoking with them, so hopefully that will be fun and revitalizing!
Fran’s Blog
7:00am March 20, 2009, Beijing, China
It has been a busy time since we landed but we are all now here since Karen, our one scientist got in yesterday afternoon.
The flight to China always amazes me. The huge 777 plane, Boeing’s longest range jet makes the long flight possible. The path
was actually North Northeast over the Greenland ice sheet, the North Pole and Bering Sea, then down through Siberia and
Mongolia.. It is quite surreal seeing nothing but white and blue landscapes over vast areas: even more so since the flight is very
smooth. The area lacks the turbulence of the temperate and tropical east west flows.
Our group is doing very nicely with the adults helping the students and everyone is getting to know the representatives from other
countries. At lunch yesterday, I listened to an excellent discussion on education policy among the Canadian delegation, JB,
Melissa and Ira.
Robin’s Blog
6:45 a.m. March 20, 2009, Beijing, China
Yesterday things moved quickly…breakfast, met with BAST officials, lunch, and helping the students set up their displays before
returning for dinner. Whew was I tired last night! Up at 5:00 a.m. this morning and getting ready to go to breakfast and then have
a 8:00 a.m. departure for the Olympic Stadium also known as the Bird’s Nest. This afternoon we return and dress for the opening
ceremony. At the middle school this afternoon, the students will be questioned by the judges. Big day for the students. Weather
projected to be cooler today than when we arrived. Off for now!
Brandon Young- March 19, 2009
Today was our first full day here in Beijing, China and needless to say I had a nice night of sleep, however, I was still tired at
various times throughout the day. Some of the other countries have been here for a few more days, so they are already used to
the time change that has occurred. Nevertheless, so far I have been able to stay up and stay pretty active which includes meeting
some new students from Australia, Denmark, Japan, and Singapore. For, breakfast we had some of the traditional Chinese food
that was actually very tasty. After, our scrumptious meal we took our long bus ride to BAST headquarters for our welcome
meeting, to pass the time we shared experiences with the students from New Zealand. Some of their activities and actions counter
ours however other than these few differences we were pretty similar. As we arrived at BAST we were taken into a large meeting
room in which all of the delegates formally introduced themselves. We ended this welcome by receiving a parting gift and taking a
big group photo of all the delegations. This took us up to lunch where we spent most of the time talking to the students from
Australia, who had some interesting comparisons and contradictions to our education system.
After this educational collaboration we took our bus to the No. 12 Middle School where the competition will be held. We spent
about half an hour setting up our posters then spent the other hour getting a chance to walk around and see some of the various
Chinese projects and some of the other countries projects as well. They all looked very impressive especially the engineering
section for the Chinese students, some of their models were extraordinary. Overall, today just kept going and going with new and
exciting things, and to elaborate on this we just got invited to go to a karaoke with the New Zealand students. So, our night is not
over yetJ
Shara Weaver- March 19, 2009
I believe everything happens for a reason and every day, I realize how true this really is. Every country has traveled from all over
to learn more about science and technology. Today is the second day of this remarkable experience. The morning of the first day
involved the long plane ride to China. I watched The Secret Life of Bees and SAW II during the flight. Today we visited the Beijing
Association of Science and Technology leaders for an introduction of all the International Delegations. While watching all the
countries introduce themselves, the excitement for science and technology was extremely apparent. We have all come here to
experience our universal passion for science. I hope to compare and contrast the differences between how science is important in
other countries. Later we traveled to the Beijing NO.12 Middle school to set up posters. All of the other countries posters look
extremely interesting and I am excited to learn more about their projects.
So far our groups had bonded with the Australians, Japanese, Ukraine, and New Zealanders. A funny aspect of our conversations
was discovering what music preferences we all have in common. Tonight we are still in store for a fun filled karaoke session with
the Australians and I hope my bad singing does not embarrass me too much. Until then, I am anxious to present my research and
learn from the other countries tomorrow.
Eileen Jang- March 19, 2009
Today we attended a formal welcome meeting at BAST headquarters and then set up our posters at the exhibition booths!
Throughout the whole day, I also fought the inevitable- that is, jet lag.
We had breakfast at 7:20 this morning, which was a great start to the day. We left for BAST headquarters, which was about an
hour away from our hotel, around 9:00. The formal meeting was very interesting. We got to meet all the delegations from around
the world and hear a little about their respective science initiatives, which were all quite fascinating. Most of the delegations all
speak at least a little English, so it makes communication much easier. I also felt like the meeting really reflected Chinese culture.
Despite the formality, all the BAST leaders were extremely welcoming and showed much humility. The lunch at BAST
headquarters was great- we ate with the delegation from Australia and learned a lot about their education system and popular
culture.
After the meeting at BAST headquarters, we drove to Beijing No. 12 Middle School, which is where the 29th Beijing Youth Science
Creation Competition is being held. Most of our delegation was fighting sleep during the ride back because of the 12 hour time
difference. It was clear that the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition is a huge deal to high school students and their
respective schools. There were colorful banners on street poles along the way to the competition, and the school had been
completely decorated for the event. The exhibition itself was in the gym, which was outfitted in row after row of booths. We took
our time getting set up at our booth and had a great time browsing through the other exhibits. Most of the posters were extremely
colorful and oriented vertically, which is the opposite of most posters I have seen at competitions in America. The Engineering
booths had demonstrations and artifacts from their projects that were fun to play around with. The other delegations also had
neat posters and projects- some had their posters translated into Chinese!
After the exhibition, we went back to the hotel for a huge buffet dinner that was delicious. I’m still really full. Now we are blogging
and soon, we are going to head out to go karaoke with the New Zealand delegation. On the bus rides today, they continuously
sang popular American hip-hop and pop songs, which was great fun, so this looks to be a fun night!
Darren Zhou-March 19, 2009
We primarily spent our time meeting the students from other countries today. We began the day eating an early breakfast at 7:30
in the morning, which again incorporated elements of a very traditional Chinese meal, as we ate Chinese porridge, pork buns, and
several other dishes. Afterwards, we returned to our room, before boarding a bus to the Beijing Assocation of Science and
Technology (BAST) headquarters. There, we had the opportunity to talk to the New Zealanders, whom we found to be extremely
energetic and entertaining. One of them in particular relayed many of the elements of New Zealand culture to us, which we found
to be very similar in general to the American culture, although they tended to place emphasis on different things (such as sports).
In addition, we passed by the Olympic Stadiums (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube), which I found to be extremely fascinating. Once we
arrived at BAST, we proceed with our formal delegation welcoming and greeting. There, we were able to see the extent of the
international collaboration that had been enabled through this conference, as we were introduced to every present delegate. After
these introductions, we watched a brief video detailing the history and objectives of BAST and the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Conference, followed by an exchange of gifts by the leaders of each delegate. We personally all received decorated containers
featuring traditional Chinese opera elements while Dr. Nolan gave several decorated Wright brothers’ plane memorabilia. After
this exchange, we took a group photo outside of the building and then moved to lunch, where we had a self-serve buffet, featuring
more traditional dishes. We ate this lunch with the Australian students, who again discussed differences and similarities in culture,
education, and perceptions with us, which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful.
Afterwards, we headed to the middle school and high school where the actual conference would be taking place. Along the way,
we again interacted with the New Zealanders, who surprised and entertained us by recognizing and singing several American
songs along the way. At the middle and high school, which was extremely large and equipped with very nice and modern facilities,
we saw our posters for the first time and mounted them. We also got a chance to view the research that the students from the
other countries had completed, as well as the Chinese students who actually were in the competition. I found the research overall
to be extremely impressive and of high-quality, so I look forward to listening to the presentations of these projects in the next
couple of days.
Once we finished this set-up, we moved back to the hotel, where we ate dinner and continued interacting with the other students.
By the end of the day, we were really fighting off our jet lag, as our entire group struggled to stay awake after dinner. However, we
have just been asked by the New Zealanders to go karaoking with them, so hopefully that will be fun and revitalizing!
Brandon Young-March 20, 2008
The schedule for today was very interesting because of the fact that it was just jam packed with different things that we were going
to do. It all started with a wake-up at around 6:40 in the morning which was kind of difficult. However, we did not have to start the
day out in a suit so that meant that we could take more time in getting ourselves fully acclimated and prepared for the day ahead.
So, next was a quick breakfast of about the same stuff that we had the day before. We arrived just in time because it seemed that
as soon as we had gotten our food their seemed to be a mad rush for the food. Anyway we then boarded the bus and fully
expected a 15 minute bus ride to the Olympic Venues such as the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube; however, we took the scenic
route and ended up traveling for about 45 minutes before finally seeing the venues in sight. But, it was fine because having the
chance to go inside each of these incredible structures was well worth the wait. That’s correct we actually went into the Bird’s Nest
and the Water Cube and were able to take many pictures and get the entire Olympic experience. Included in this experience was
the chance to visit souvenir stores that sold various items that commemorated the Olympics. But, seeing all of this recent history
was very impressive and being able to say I have been is the best part of it all.
After our Olympic campaign we rode to a small but nice hotel that served us lunch before we headed back to our hotel to change
for the upcoming opening ceremony. The food that was served was very delicious I don’t think that anything I tried actually tasted
badly. However, we quickly left the hotel and headed back to our hotel so that we could change for the rest of the day’s events.
With only 15 minutes to change I was very impressed with how efficient everyone was with putting on their dress clothes. As we
headed to the middle school I couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling up in me and it all surfaced when I eventually saw the
band that was in front of the school and performing for us. We attended the opening ceremonies which were really amazing and
interesting to see how the Chinese actually celebrated their science. It was also unique how much audience interaction there was
for a big science competition like this. While returning to our presenting station we had about 5 more minutes to set-up before
people could come around and ask us questions. Although communication was somewhat hard at times it went fairly smoothly and
I had a lot of fun. Also, we had a quick shot or two with some of the Chinese kids on their basketball courts and we hope that we
will get a little bit longer to interact with them tomorrow.
Shara Weaver-March 20, 2008
The word for today is amazing. Every single aspect about today was amazing. The first amazing thing was our tour of the Beijing
Olympic bird nest and the water cube. I was able to actually stand in the same space that the opening ceremony was held in. My
favorite part was of the nest was having the pleasure of taking pictures with Chinese that were so eager to do so. I enjoyed the
experience of interacting with the people there. Also, I was able to step on the same track where Usain Bolts received his
astonishing gold medal. After touring the nest we went to the water cube. Michael Phelps won his eight gold medals and broke
seven world records. He is truly one of the greatest athletes of our time.
After the tour of the water cube, we ate at a restaurant that had amazing food. I was truly full of the pineapple beef and many other
delicious dishes. We soon traveled to No.12 middle school to attend the opening ceremony and present our research. The
opening ceremony was again amazing because the Chinese students competing seemed so enthusiastic about science and
technology. I often times wish every student in the United States would have that same enthusiasm.
While presenting our research many of the Chinese students were really interested in my research. They all had the common
question of “Does your research focus on helping addicts stop using a drug?”This question has re-sparked my interest in possibly
doing research on this particular topic. One of the young Chinese students in front of me conducted research on caring for
animals and reptiles. My first instinct was to ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She really did not know what she
wanted to be so I decided to tell her about veterinarians doing about the same thing that she does. Her instant response was “I
want to do that!”
Some of the boys played basketball with the different delegations. It was funny to see how much fun they all had playing around.
We hope to go to a shopping mall later and I am praying to get a great bargain on a pair of Jordan’s. I will let you know tomorrow
how that turns out...see you soon!
Day 3 (Friday, March 20, 2009): Darren Zhu
So for a quick update on last night – we didn’t end up getting the chance to go karaoking, since we found that it would be far too
expensive. Instead, we interacted with the students from the other countries by playing some cards and listening to the music of
the other countries – I found this to be both a very culturally entertaining and insightful experience for us.
Anyways, let’s get back to today, which was most likely our most interesting and fascinating day yet. After eating breakfast, we
were able to head out to a visit to the Olympic stadiums via a long scenic drive where we saw mountains and traditional Chinese
houses near those mountains. Once we finally arrived at the stadiums, we first drove past the facilities housing the tennis courts
and various other sports venues. However, we eventually made our way to the two famous stadiums – the so-called “Bird’s Nest”
and “Water Cube.” Having seen both on television so often, I (along with everyone else visiting) was in absolute awe, as I
absorbed the grandeur of the buildings. In addition, I was amazed by the architectural complexities and innovation of the buildings,
as we continued to view them from the outside. However, we were most fascinated when we had the opportunity to enter both
stadiums. When I first saw the interior of the Bird’s Nest, I was truly shocked by both the aesthetic beauty of the stadium, as well
as the fact that only half a year ago, the stadium was completely filled with athletes and spectators. We all had the opportunity to
walk around the stadium, as well as visit the souvenir shop there. After visiting the inside of the Bird’s Nest, we proceeded to the
Water Cube, where we had a VIP guide and saw the actual swimming pools and diving arena that were used in the Olympic
games. Again, I was stunned by all the components of the stadium and was especially impressed by the intricate polymer/plastic
membrane (that also allowed natural lighting in the stadium to be controlled) and the water, which used novel disinfectant that did
not use chlorine (and apparently was completely drinkable). Clearly, we had a truly great time and experience with the Olympic
stadiums.
After this trip, we went to lunch at another hotel along the way, eating a standard meal, as usual. We dropped by our hotel briefly
after this, as we had to quickly change into formal dress clothes before we proceeded on to the middle/high school where our
research presentations would be. There, we went to the opening ceremony, where we were first greeted by the many
administrators and coordinators of the conference and then introduced to the various Beijing districts that would be partaking in
the actual competition. I found it interesting that the ceremony was much different from most American ones in that audience
energy and rowdiness were encouraged, as we all received loud clappers and flags to wave. After this ceremony, we continued
with our presentations, as we greeted various students, judges, and community members who decided to visit the posters.
Unfortunately, I had trouble explaining my project in Chinese to this audience, although I had the help of Wang to aid in translating
and conveying my work. However, I did meet a journalist who spoke with me in English about my high school and education in
America, which I found to be interesting. Also during the presentation, I met several middle school students who asked me about
American culture, as they quizzed me on things such as the NBA. Once our presentation today ended, we headed to dinner at the
school, which was also being served to the students, who live residentially at the school. After finishing dinner, we headed back to
our hotel rooms, as we currently take a break from the long and exciting day.
Eileen Jang- March 20, 2009
Today was a long but amazing day! We started off the morning by touring the Olympic Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest,
and the Water Cube. The whole thing was surreal! I took a bunch of pictures and still couldn’t believe I was really there. The
stadium was so much bigger than I imagined, and the Water Cube was really pretty- full of color and interesting designs. One
interesting thing about the Water Cube was that it did not have the typical smell of a swimming pool; the water is treated with newer
technology so that it does not smell like chlorine! It smelled fresh and normal in the pool area.
After touring, we headed back to the hotel so we could prepare for the exhibition. We attended the Opening Ceremony, which was
lively and entertaining, and then we presented our research. It was hard to communicate with the other students and foreign
guests, but I had a really great time and it was an exciting experience. Some of the students there are eager to practice their
English and were really interested in our projects!
Overall, I had an amazing day. The skies were even blue today and it was so pretty outside! I had a great time meeting other
students at the exhibition. I think we may be heading out to go shopping later tonight, or we will just hang out with some other
delegations and their students like we did last night!
Melissa Bartlett’s Beijing Blog 3/19/09 Day 2
Off we went this morning to the BAST welcoming ceremony and lunch. It was much clearer today – a blue sky full of promise.
The BAST leaders were so hospitable and we met many folk from around the globe who understand the importance of project
based learning that involves real science that can help make our world a better place.
Our student representatives are the epitome of young American professionals and make everyone who stands next to them shine
with pride. I feel so honored to be able to accompany them as they share their research projects with their peers from around the
world.
Darren Zhu
Day 1:
Today, we arrived in Beijing, China at around 2 pm. Although the trip to Beijing was relatively long (I got up at 6 am for a 8:50
flight from RDU to Newark, where we waited until 12:15 for a 14 hour flight to Beijing), the flight went very smoothly, and I had an
opportunity to try to begin adjusting to the twelve hour time difference in Beijing. Once we got to Beijing, we were greeted by our
two Chinese facilitators, Joey and Wang, who directed us to our hotel, West International Trade Hotel. There, we moved all of our
stuff into the hotel room (which we found to be very nice) and settled in before we headed down to dinner. Having visited Beijing
nearly five years ago, I was definitely very surprised by the advancements and changes that had occurred in the city. In addition,
having not been exposed to traditional Chinese culture in a long time, I found it very culturally invigorating watching the Chinese
television programs with Brandon and just interacting with the native Chinese people. At dinner, we ate a very traditional dinner,
including dishes of chicken feet, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, fungus, fish, and, of course, rice. To cap off the night, we met the
delegations of the other nations, which included students from Korea, New Zealand, Ukraine, Denmark, Australia, and several
other countries.
Day 2:
We primarily spent our time meeting the students from other countries today. We began the day eating an early breakfast at 7:30
in the morning, which again incorporated elements of a very traditional Chinese meal, as we ate Chinese porridge, pork buns, and
several other dishes. Afterwards, we returned to our room, before boarding a bus to the Beijing Assocation of Science and
Technology (BAST) headquarters. There, we had the opportunity to talk to the New Zealanders, whom we found to be extremely
energetic and entertaining. One of them in particular relayed many of the elements of New Zealand culture to us, which we found
to be very similar in general to the American culture, although they tended to place emphasis on different things (such as sports).
In addition, we passed by the Olympic Stadiums (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube), which I found to be extremely fascinating. Once we
arrived at BAST, we proceed with our formal delegation welcoming and greeting. There, we were able to see the extent of the
international collaboration that had been enabled through this conference, as we were introduced to every present delegate. After
these introductions, we watched a brief video detailing the history and objectives of BAST and the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Conference, followed by an exchange of gifts by the leaders of each delegate. We personally all received decorated containers
featuring traditional Chinese opera elements while Dr. Nolan gave several decorated Wright brothers’ plane memorabilia. After
this exchange, we took a group photo outside of the building and then moved to lunch, where we had a self-serve buffet, featuring
more traditional dishes. We ate this lunch with the Australian students, who again discussed differences and similarities in culture,
education, and perceptions with us, which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful.
Afterwards, we headed to the middle school and high school where the actual conference would be taking place. Along the way,
we again interacted with the New Zealanders, who surprised and entertained us by recognizing and singing several American
songs along the way. At the middle and high school, which was extremely large and equipped with very nice and modern facilities,
we saw our posters for the first time and mounted them. We also got a chance to view the research that the students from the
other countries had completed, as well as the Chinese students who actually were in the competition. I found the research overall
to be extremely impressive and of high-quality, so I look forward to listening to the presentations of these projects in the next
couple of days.
Once we finished this set-up, we moved back to the hotel, where we ate dinner and continued interacting with the other students.
By the end of the day, we were really fighting off our jet lag, as our entire group struggled to stay awake after dinner. However, we
have just been asked by the New Zealanders to go karaoking with them, so hopefully that will be fun and revitalizing!
Fran’s Blog
7:00am March 20, 2009, Beijing, China
It has been a busy time since we landed but we are all now here since Karen, our one scientist got in yesterday afternoon.
The flight to China always amazes me. The huge 777 plane, Boeing’s longest range jet makes the long flight possible. The path
was actually North Northeast over the Greenland ice sheet, the North Pole and Bering Sea, then down through Siberia and
Mongolia.. It is quite surreal seeing nothing but white and blue landscapes over vast areas: even more so since the flight is very
smooth. The area lacks the turbulence of the temperate and tropical east west flows.
Our group is doing very nicely with the adults helping the students and everyone is getting to know the representatives from other
countries. At lunch yesterday, I listened to an excellent discussion on education policy among the Canadian delegation, JB,
Melissa and Ira.
Robin’s Blog
6:45 a.m. March 20, 2009, Beijing, China
Yesterday things moved quickly…breakfast, met with BAST officials, lunch, and helping the students set up their displays before
returning for dinner. Whew was I tired last night! Up at 5:00 a.m. this morning and getting ready to go to breakfast and then have
a 8:00 a.m. departure for the Olympic Stadium also known as the Bird’s Nest. This afternoon we return and dress for the opening
ceremony. At the middle school this afternoon, the students will be questioned by the judges. Big day for the students. Weather
projected to be cooler today than when we arrived. Off for now!
Brandon Young- March 19, 2009
Today was our first full day here in Beijing, China and needless to say I had a nice night of sleep, however, I was still tired at
various times throughout the day. Some of the other countries have been here for a few more days, so they are already used to
the time change that has occurred. Nevertheless, so far I have been able to stay up and stay pretty active which includes meeting
some new students from Australia, Denmark, Japan, and Singapore. For, breakfast we had some of the traditional Chinese food
that was actually very tasty. After, our scrumptious meal we took our long bus ride to BAST headquarters for our welcome
meeting, to pass the time we shared experiences with the students from New Zealand. Some of their activities and actions counter
ours however other than these few differences we were pretty similar. As we arrived at BAST we were taken into a large meeting
room in which all of the delegates formally introduced themselves. We ended this welcome by receiving a parting gift and taking a
big group photo of all the delegations. This took us up to lunch where we spent most of the time talking to the students from
Australia, who had some interesting comparisons and contradictions to our education system.
After this educational collaboration we took our bus to the No. 12 Middle School where the competition will be held. We spent
about half an hour setting up our posters then spent the other hour getting a chance to walk around and see some of the various
Chinese projects and some of the other countries projects as well. They all looked very impressive especially the engineering
section for the Chinese students, some of their models were extraordinary. Overall, today just kept going and going with new and
exciting things, and to elaborate on this we just got invited to go to a karaoke with the New Zealand students. So, our night is not
over yetJ
Shara Weaver- March 19, 2009
I believe everything happens for a reason and every day, I realize how true this really is. Every country has traveled from all over
to learn more about science and technology. Today is the second day of this remarkable experience. The morning of the first day
involved the long plane ride to China. I watched The Secret Life of Bees and SAW II during the flight. Today we visited the Beijing
Association of Science and Technology leaders for an introduction of all the International Delegations. While watching all the
countries introduce themselves, the excitement for science and technology was extremely apparent. We have all come here to
experience our universal passion for science. I hope to compare and contrast the differences between how science is important in
other countries. Later we traveled to the Beijing NO.12 Middle school to set up posters. All of the other countries posters look
extremely interesting and I am excited to learn more about their projects.
So far our groups had bonded with the Australians, Japanese, Ukraine, and New Zealanders. A funny aspect of our conversations
was discovering what music preferences we all have in common. Tonight we are still in store for a fun filled karaoke session with
the Australians and I hope my bad singing does not embarrass me too much. Until then, I am anxious to present my research and
learn from the other countries tomorrow.
Eileen Jang- March 19, 2009
Today we attended a formal welcome meeting at BAST headquarters and then set up our posters at the exhibition booths!
Throughout the whole day, I also fought the inevitable- that is, jet lag.
We had breakfast at 7:20 this morning, which was a great start to the day. We left for BAST headquarters, which was about an
hour away from our hotel, around 9:00. The formal meeting was very interesting. We got to meet all the delegations from around
the world and hear a little about their respective science initiatives, which were all quite fascinating. Most of the delegations all
speak at least a little English, so it makes communication much easier. I also felt like the meeting really reflected Chinese culture.
Despite the formality, all the BAST leaders were extremely welcoming and showed much humility. The lunch at BAST
headquarters was great- we ate with the delegation from Australia and learned a lot about their education system and popular
culture.
After the meeting at BAST headquarters, we drove to Beijing No. 12 Middle School, which is where the 29th Beijing Youth Science
Creation Competition is being held. Most of our delegation was fighting sleep during the ride back because of the 12 hour time
difference. It was clear that the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition is a huge deal to high school students and their
respective schools. There were colorful banners on street poles along the way to the competition, and the school had been
completely decorated for the event. The exhibition itself was in the gym, which was outfitted in row after row of booths. We took
our time getting set up at our booth and had a great time browsing through the other exhibits. Most of the posters were extremely
colorful and oriented vertically, which is the opposite of most posters I have seen at competitions in America. The Engineering
booths had demonstrations and artifacts from their projects that were fun to play around with. The other delegations also had
neat posters and projects- some had their posters translated into Chinese!
After the exhibition, we went back to the hotel for a huge buffet dinner that was delicious. I’m still really full. Now we are blogging
and soon, we are going to head out to go karaoke with the New Zealand delegation. On the bus rides today, they continuously
sang popular American hip-hop and pop songs, which was great fun, so this looks to be a fun night!
Darren Zhou-March 19, 2009
We primarily spent our time meeting the students from other countries today. We began the day eating an early breakfast at 7:30
in the morning, which again incorporated elements of a very traditional Chinese meal, as we ate Chinese porridge, pork buns, and
several other dishes. Afterwards, we returned to our room, before boarding a bus to the Beijing Assocation of Science and
Technology (BAST) headquarters. There, we had the opportunity to talk to the New Zealanders, whom we found to be extremely
energetic and entertaining. One of them in particular relayed many of the elements of New Zealand culture to us, which we found
to be very similar in general to the American culture, although they tended to place emphasis on different things (such as sports).
In addition, we passed by the Olympic Stadiums (Bird’s Nest and Water Cube), which I found to be extremely fascinating. Once we
arrived at BAST, we proceed with our formal delegation welcoming and greeting. There, we were able to see the extent of the
international collaboration that had been enabled through this conference, as we were introduced to every present delegate. After
these introductions, we watched a brief video detailing the history and objectives of BAST and the Beijing Youth Science Creation
Conference, followed by an exchange of gifts by the leaders of each delegate. We personally all received decorated containers
featuring traditional Chinese opera elements while Dr. Nolan gave several decorated Wright brothers’ plane memorabilia. After
this exchange, we took a group photo outside of the building and then moved to lunch, where we had a self-serve buffet, featuring
more traditional dishes. We ate this lunch with the Australian students, who again discussed differences and similarities in culture,
education, and perceptions with us, which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful.
Afterwards, we headed to the middle school and high school where the actual conference would be taking place. Along the way,
we again interacted with the New Zealanders, who surprised and entertained us by recognizing and singing several American
songs along the way. At the middle and high school, which was extremely large and equipped with very nice and modern facilities,
we saw our posters for the first time and mounted them. We also got a chance to view the research that the students from the
other countries had completed, as well as the Chinese students who actually were in the competition. I found the research overall
to be extremely impressive and of high-quality, so I look forward to listening to the presentations of these projects in the next
couple of days.
Once we finished this set-up, we moved back to the hotel, where we ate dinner and continued interacting with the other students.
By the end of the day, we were really fighting off our jet lag, as our entire group struggled to stay awake after dinner. However, we
have just been asked by the New Zealanders to go karaoking with them, so hopefully that will be fun and revitalizing!
Brandon Young-March 20, 2008
The schedule for today was very interesting because of the fact that it was just jam packed with different things that we were going
to do. It all started with a wake-up at around 6:40 in the morning which was kind of difficult. However, we did not have to start the
day out in a suit so that meant that we could take more time in getting ourselves fully acclimated and prepared for the day ahead.
So, next was a quick breakfast of about the same stuff that we had the day before. We arrived just in time because it seemed that
as soon as we had gotten our food their seemed to be a mad rush for the food. Anyway we then boarded the bus and fully
expected a 15 minute bus ride to the Olympic Venues such as the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube; however, we took the scenic
route and ended up traveling for about 45 minutes before finally seeing the venues in sight. But, it was fine because having the
chance to go inside each of these incredible structures was well worth the wait. That’s correct we actually went into the Bird’s Nest
and the Water Cube and were able to take many pictures and get the entire Olympic experience. Included in this experience was
the chance to visit souvenir stores that sold various items that commemorated the Olympics. But, seeing all of this recent history
was very impressive and being able to say I have been is the best part of it all.
After our Olympic campaign we rode to a small but nice hotel that served us lunch before we headed back to our hotel to change
for the upcoming opening ceremony. The food that was served was very delicious I don’t think that anything I tried actually tasted
badly. However, we quickly left the hotel and headed back to our hotel so that we could change for the rest of the day’s events.
With only 15 minutes to change I was very impressed with how efficient everyone was with putting on their dress clothes. As we
headed to the middle school I couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling up in me and it all surfaced when I eventually saw the
band that was in front of the school and performing for us. We attended the opening ceremonies which were really amazing and
interesting to see how the Chinese actually celebrated their science. It was also unique how much audience interaction there was
for a big science competition like this. While returning to our presenting station we had about 5 more minutes to set-up before
people could come around and ask us questions. Although communication was somewhat hard at times it went fairly smoothly and
I had a lot of fun. Also, we had a quick shot or two with some of the Chinese kids on their basketball courts and we hope that we
will get a little bit longer to interact with them tomorrow.
Shara Weaver-March 20, 2008
The word for today is amazing. Every single aspect about today was amazing. The first amazing thing was our tour of the Beijing
Olympic bird nest and the water cube. I was able to actually stand in the same space that the opening ceremony was held in. My
favorite part was of the nest was having the pleasure of taking pictures with Chinese that were so eager to do so. I enjoyed the
experience of interacting with the people there. Also, I was able to step on the same track where Usain Bolts received his
astonishing gold medal. After touring the nest we went to the water cube. Michael Phelps won his eight gold medals and broke
seven world records. He is truly one of the greatest athletes of our time.
After the tour of the water cube, we ate at a restaurant that had amazing food. I was truly full of the pineapple beef and many other
delicious dishes. We soon traveled to No.12 middle school to attend the opening ceremony and present our research. The
opening ceremony was again amazing because the Chinese students competing seemed so enthusiastic about science and
technology. I often times wish every student in the United States would have that same enthusiasm.
While presenting our research many of the Chinese students were really interested in my research. They all had the common
question of “Does your research focus on helping addicts stop using a drug?”This question has re-sparked my interest in possibly
doing research on this particular topic. One of the young Chinese students in front of me conducted research on caring for
animals and reptiles. My first instinct was to ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She really did not know what she
wanted to be so I decided to tell her about veterinarians doing about the same thing that she does. Her instant response was “I
want to do that!”
Some of the boys played basketball with the different delegations. It was funny to see how much fun they all had playing around.
We hope to go to a shopping mall later and I am praying to get a great bargain on a pair of Jordan’s. I will let you know tomorrow
how that turns out...see you soon!
Day 3 (Friday, March 20, 2009): Darren Zhu
So for a quick update on last night – we didn’t end up getting the chance to go karaoking, since we found that it would be far too
expensive. Instead, we interacted with the students from the other countries by playing some cards and listening to the music of
the other countries – I found this to be both a very culturally entertaining and insightful experience for us.
Anyways, let’s get back to today, which was most likely our most interesting and fascinating day yet. After eating breakfast, we
were able to head out to a visit to the Olympic stadiums via a long scenic drive where we saw mountains and traditional Chinese
houses near those mountains. Once we finally arrived at the stadiums, we first drove past the facilities housing the tennis courts
and various other sports venues. However, we eventually made our way to the two famous stadiums – the so-called “Bird’s Nest”
and “Water Cube.” Having seen both on television so often, I (along with everyone else visiting) was in absolute awe, as I
absorbed the grandeur of the buildings. In addition, I was amazed by the architectural complexities and innovation of the buildings,
as we continued to view them from the outside. However, we were most fascinated when we had the opportunity to enter both
stadiums. When I first saw the interior of the Bird’s Nest, I was truly shocked by both the aesthetic beauty of the stadium, as well
as the fact that only half a year ago, the stadium was completely filled with athletes and spectators. We all had the opportunity to
walk around the stadium, as well as visit the souvenir shop there. After visiting the inside of the Bird’s Nest, we proceeded to the
Water Cube, where we had a VIP guide and saw the actual swimming pools and diving arena that were used in the Olympic
games. Again, I was stunned by all the components of the stadium and was especially impressed by the intricate polymer/plastic
membrane (that also allowed natural lighting in the stadium to be controlled) and the water, which used novel disinfectant that did
not use chlorine (and apparently was completely drinkable). Clearly, we had a truly great time and experience with the Olympic
stadiums.
After this trip, we went to lunch at another hotel along the way, eating a standard meal, as usual. We dropped by our hotel briefly
after this, as we had to quickly change into formal dress clothes before we proceeded on to the middle/high school where our
research presentations would be. There, we went to the opening ceremony, where we were first greeted by the many
administrators and coordinators of the conference and then introduced to the various Beijing districts that would be partaking in
the actual competition. I found it interesting that the ceremony was much different from most American ones in that audience
energy and rowdiness were encouraged, as we all received loud clappers and flags to wave. After this ceremony, we continued
with our presentations, as we greeted various students, judges, and community members who decided to visit the posters.
Unfortunately, I had trouble explaining my project in Chinese to this audience, although I had the help of Wang to aid in translating
and conveying my work. However, I did meet a journalist who spoke with me in English about my high school and education in
America, which I found to be interesting. Also during the presentation, I met several middle school students who asked me about
American culture, as they quizzed me on things such as the NBA. Once our presentation today ended, we headed to dinner at the
school, which was also being served to the students, who live residentially at the school. After finishing dinner, we headed back to
our hotel rooms, as we currently take a break from the long and exciting day.
Eileen Jang- March 20, 2009
Today was a long but amazing day! We started off the morning by touring the Olympic Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest,
and the Water Cube. The whole thing was surreal! I took a bunch of pictures and still couldn’t believe I was really there. The
stadium was so much bigger than I imagined, and the Water Cube was really pretty- full of color and interesting designs. One
interesting thing about the Water Cube was that it did not have the typical smell of a swimming pool; the water is treated with newer
technology so that it does not smell like chlorine! It smelled fresh and normal in the pool area.
After touring, we headed back to the hotel so we could prepare for the exhibition. We attended the Opening Ceremony, which was
lively and entertaining, and then we presented our research. It was hard to communicate with the other students and foreign
guests, but I had a really great time and it was an exciting experience. Some of the students there are eager to practice their
English and were really interested in our projects!
Overall, I had an amazing day. The skies were even blue today and it was so pretty outside! I had a great time meeting other
students at the exhibition. I think we may be heading out to go shopping later tonight, or we will just hang out with some other
delegations and their students like we did last night!
Melissa Bartlett’s Beijing Blog 3/19/09 Day 2
Off we went this morning to the BAST welcoming ceremony and lunch. It was much clearer today – a blue sky full of promise.
The BAST leaders were so hospitable and we met many folk from around the globe who understand the importance of project
based learning that involves real science that can help make our world a better place.
Our student representatives are the epitome of young American professionals and make everyone who stands next to them shine
with pride. I feel so honored to be able to accompany them as they share their research projects with their peers from around the
world.
Photos from BAST photo- Melissa Bartlett
Shara Weaver-March 21, 2009
Today was the second day of presenting our research and we were able to view other students’ projects. My favorite project contained a robotic hand that is
controlled by a hand glove. The time and thought that was put into the project was extraordinary. All of the students had wonderful projects that involved a
great deal of dedication. Once we finished presenting, we played outside with all of the delegations and students from No.12 middle school. I enjoyed
learning how to use a Chinese yo-yo. It was a little hard but after practice it became really easier. I was able to revisit my childhood memories by jumping
rope on the field.
When the fun and games were all over, we finished a last round of presenting. One of my favorite students that came to view my project was a student that
recently visited the United States. She toured Harvard and MIT. She told me that she wanted to attend one of the two universities within two years. After
presenting, we watched the award ceremony. The performance included a music band, modern dance, ballet, chorus, Tibetan dance, and tap dance. I really
enjoyed the ballet because it was close to my style of dance. Afterwards, we all joined on stage for the closing with tap dancers. It was truly amazing to see all
of the delegations on stage dancing as one. Simply Amazing.
Brandon Young-March 21, 2009
Today was probably our busiest day of the trip so far. It included about six hours of presenting our work to different students from around China while also
going around to see some of the students projects from around China. It was prevalent that this competition means a lot to the Chinese and is very selective
in who can not only participate but who can also win in the competition. We were able to meet many new friends who we exchanged e-mail’s with and hope to
keep in contact with throughout the rest of the year. After our first three hour session we had lunch at the middle school and also had about two hours of
interaction with some of the students. We played some of the traditional Chinese games like Chinese yo-yo but we also played basketball with some of the
Chinese kids. Needless to say playing in a button down shirt and dress plants was plenty hard but playing in the dress shoes was probably the most difficult
aspect. Nevertheless, it was very fun and we were able to see some of the unique Chinese skills that they had developed.
So, as we entered into the second part of our day the crowds were much more condensed which meant less talking and such. We were able to get more
interaction with the fewer number of students that stood at our posters per speech. While toughing out these last few hours of presenting we then headed
back to the middle school cafeteria for dinner and ate there. However, afterwards we attended a Special Ceremony which gave out special awards to
different students and we also got treated to some very cool dances and songs that the Chinese put on for us. It was a long day and yet it was still very
exhilarating and a great experience. Now, we are just looking forward to the closing ceremonies tomorrow and then our final visits to different venues.
Eileen Jang- March 21, 2009
Today we presented our posters in the morning, had lunch, interacted with the students at Beijing No. 12 Middle School, presented our posters at the
exhibition again, and then attended the Special Awards Ceremony!
The exhibition for the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition is amazing. All the projects are so colorful and interactive! Some of the posters had
places where you could roll down a long sheet of paper to find more information, little TV insets on the poster, or small demonstrations in front of their
posters. I especially enjoyed the Engineering projects! I saw projects on airplanes, vacuum pumps, and robotics that had demonstrations in front of their
posters. The students would show you how their projects worked as soon as you stopped to listen to them- they were very eager to talk in English and
speak to the audience. The posters and presentation were very different from the posters I usually see at competitions in America. The students here are
encouraged to use lots of vibrant colors and bring lots of hands-on pieces of their projects to competitions.
It was also a lot of fun talking to people about our projects! Our translator had to do a lot of the work for us in translating our projects from English to
Chinese whenever Chinese students asked us about our projects, but it was fun interacting with high school and middle school students from Beijing’s
various districts.
After lunch, we had a chance to interact with the Chinese students. We played Chinese yo-yo, Chinese hacky sack, basketball, and soccer! It was great
seeing all the foreign delegations hang out with the Chinese students, who were all very friendly and eager to talk to us. When we played basketball, we met
two really cool Chinese students that we spent a lot of time with during dinner.
After dinner, we went to the Special Awards Ceremony, which was when various sponsors gave out special awards to the students. It was great fun and
between the presenting of awards, there were various artistic acts, such as tap dancing, Chinese modern dancing, Chinese traditional dancing, and Chinese
traditional music.
Overall, today was a great day! I had the chance to interact with lots of foreign and Chinese students and had a great time doing so.
Day 4 (Sunday, March 22, 2009) – Darren Zhu
Today was easily our longest and busiest day yet. We began the morning by getting to the middle/high school early to begin the public poster presentations
of our projects. After a three hour morning session of discussing and sharing with various students, teachers, journalists, and members of the community,
we were finally able to take a lunch break. Once we finished lunch in the school cafeteria, we proceeded to attend an interactive event with the students of
the middle/high school through musical performances by both the Chinese students and the Korean students, various traditional sports, and also
games/technology. I learned to use a Chinese yo-yo relatively well, as a student taught me various tricks and techniques. In addition, I had an opportunity
to play basketball and soccer with many participating students, which I found to be extremely exciting and fun. Afterwards, we returned to our poster
presentations, although we took periodic breaks to explore and examine the posters of the other students at the conference, many of which (especially in the
engineering category) we found to be extremely well done. Once our presentation period was complete, we ate dinner and then attended a special awards
ceremony, where various prizes were given by corporations and traditional performances were given by students. I found both components of the ceremony
to be very interesting; however, by the time I returned to our hotel, I was physically and mentally drained and fell asleep almost immediately when I returned
to my room.
Today was the second day of presenting our research and we were able to view other students’ projects. My favorite project contained a robotic hand that is
controlled by a hand glove. The time and thought that was put into the project was extraordinary. All of the students had wonderful projects that involved a
great deal of dedication. Once we finished presenting, we played outside with all of the delegations and students from No.12 middle school. I enjoyed
learning how to use a Chinese yo-yo. It was a little hard but after practice it became really easier. I was able to revisit my childhood memories by jumping
rope on the field.
When the fun and games were all over, we finished a last round of presenting. One of my favorite students that came to view my project was a student that
recently visited the United States. She toured Harvard and MIT. She told me that she wanted to attend one of the two universities within two years. After
presenting, we watched the award ceremony. The performance included a music band, modern dance, ballet, chorus, Tibetan dance, and tap dance. I really
enjoyed the ballet because it was close to my style of dance. Afterwards, we all joined on stage for the closing with tap dancers. It was truly amazing to see all
of the delegations on stage dancing as one. Simply Amazing.
Brandon Young-March 21, 2009
Today was probably our busiest day of the trip so far. It included about six hours of presenting our work to different students from around China while also
going around to see some of the students projects from around China. It was prevalent that this competition means a lot to the Chinese and is very selective
in who can not only participate but who can also win in the competition. We were able to meet many new friends who we exchanged e-mail’s with and hope to
keep in contact with throughout the rest of the year. After our first three hour session we had lunch at the middle school and also had about two hours of
interaction with some of the students. We played some of the traditional Chinese games like Chinese yo-yo but we also played basketball with some of the
Chinese kids. Needless to say playing in a button down shirt and dress plants was plenty hard but playing in the dress shoes was probably the most difficult
aspect. Nevertheless, it was very fun and we were able to see some of the unique Chinese skills that they had developed.
So, as we entered into the second part of our day the crowds were much more condensed which meant less talking and such. We were able to get more
interaction with the fewer number of students that stood at our posters per speech. While toughing out these last few hours of presenting we then headed
back to the middle school cafeteria for dinner and ate there. However, afterwards we attended a Special Ceremony which gave out special awards to
different students and we also got treated to some very cool dances and songs that the Chinese put on for us. It was a long day and yet it was still very
exhilarating and a great experience. Now, we are just looking forward to the closing ceremonies tomorrow and then our final visits to different venues.
Eileen Jang- March 21, 2009
Today we presented our posters in the morning, had lunch, interacted with the students at Beijing No. 12 Middle School, presented our posters at the
exhibition again, and then attended the Special Awards Ceremony!
The exhibition for the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition is amazing. All the projects are so colorful and interactive! Some of the posters had
places where you could roll down a long sheet of paper to find more information, little TV insets on the poster, or small demonstrations in front of their
posters. I especially enjoyed the Engineering projects! I saw projects on airplanes, vacuum pumps, and robotics that had demonstrations in front of their
posters. The students would show you how their projects worked as soon as you stopped to listen to them- they were very eager to talk in English and
speak to the audience. The posters and presentation were very different from the posters I usually see at competitions in America. The students here are
encouraged to use lots of vibrant colors and bring lots of hands-on pieces of their projects to competitions.
It was also a lot of fun talking to people about our projects! Our translator had to do a lot of the work for us in translating our projects from English to
Chinese whenever Chinese students asked us about our projects, but it was fun interacting with high school and middle school students from Beijing’s
various districts.
After lunch, we had a chance to interact with the Chinese students. We played Chinese yo-yo, Chinese hacky sack, basketball, and soccer! It was great
seeing all the foreign delegations hang out with the Chinese students, who were all very friendly and eager to talk to us. When we played basketball, we met
two really cool Chinese students that we spent a lot of time with during dinner.
After dinner, we went to the Special Awards Ceremony, which was when various sponsors gave out special awards to the students. It was great fun and
between the presenting of awards, there were various artistic acts, such as tap dancing, Chinese modern dancing, Chinese traditional dancing, and Chinese
traditional music.
Overall, today was a great day! I had the chance to interact with lots of foreign and Chinese students and had a great time doing so.
Day 4 (Sunday, March 22, 2009) – Darren Zhu
Today was easily our longest and busiest day yet. We began the morning by getting to the middle/high school early to begin the public poster presentations
of our projects. After a three hour morning session of discussing and sharing with various students, teachers, journalists, and members of the community,
we were finally able to take a lunch break. Once we finished lunch in the school cafeteria, we proceeded to attend an interactive event with the students of
the middle/high school through musical performances by both the Chinese students and the Korean students, various traditional sports, and also
games/technology. I learned to use a Chinese yo-yo relatively well, as a student taught me various tricks and techniques. In addition, I had an opportunity
to play basketball and soccer with many participating students, which I found to be extremely exciting and fun. Afterwards, we returned to our poster
presentations, although we took periodic breaks to explore and examine the posters of the other students at the conference, many of which (especially in the
engineering category) we found to be extremely well done. Once our presentation period was complete, we ate dinner and then attended a special awards
ceremony, where various prizes were given by corporations and traditional performances were given by students. I found both components of the ceremony
to be very interesting; however, by the time I returned to our hotel, I was physically and mentally drained and fell asleep almost immediately when I returned
to my room.
Robin Bergeron-Nolan
March 23, 2009 Beijing, China
Yesterday was a full day for all of us. We started out by attending the awards and closing ceremony in the morning, lunch at the school, visiting the
Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, then concluding with dinner. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are both fascinating, historical sites.
Today we adventure off at 7:15 a.m. for The Great Wall and then The Summer Palace. We’re scheduled to conclude with shopping in the silk market and
dinner. This will be another full-packed day, but very much worthwhile! Off for now.
Brandon Young-March 22, 2009
Today was the last day with the BYSCC, the closing ceremonies were held this morning and it was obvious that the excitement for the students was building
with every moment. They started out with some special awards which included our medals which we received for being in attendance. However, everyone
was very pleased with the award that we received and felt that we were definitely worthy of the honor. After, the awards ceremony we headed to the flower
park as the Chinese called it and the best thing about this trip was the fact that we had a police escort the entire way to the garden. So, the normal hustle
and bustle of the traffic was paused for us to travel through, it was an incredible feeling. While we spent time at the garden we realized just how pretty it
really is and how amazing some of the plants their actually were. One surprising thing that was taken place as we passed through the garden was the
number of couples who were getting their wedding photos taken, the numbers reached into the twenties. It must be a very popular spot for this particular
event.
We then again had lunch at the middle school which to say the least was not one of our best meals that we have experienced so far. But, afterwards we
traveled to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square where a lot of Chinese history was experienced. After staying in Tiananmen Square to witness the
flag lowering ceremony we went to a hot pot restaurant which was actually very tasty, although it did not necessarily fill us up. The dinner was good, but we
had to go to a local market to get some snacks for the room. When we reached the hotel for the night we spent a lot of time with the Koreans teaching them
card games and them doing likewise. The day was very jam-packed, but very fun.
Eileen Jang- March 22, 2009
Today we went to the closing ceremony of the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition! The closing ceremony was formal and in Beijing, all the students
are considered winners, so they awarded a lot of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards. Students also won various scholarships. All the international students
were also given medals for participation! We had a great time and I’m glad we got to be a part of the competition.
After the closing ceremony, we went straight to Beijing’s International Botanical Garden, which was a real treat. They had plants from all around the world!
After the Botanical Garden, we went back to the hotel to change and then we headed to the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was amazing. I couldn’t believe that the Forbidden City had been standing for so long! I got to take a bunch of great photos and walk
around. We saw all the different internal palaces and even got to see what some of the old rooms looked like. My favorite part was probably the large pots
they had situated around the palace- they were for holding water in case a fire occurred. The designs were really neat.
After the Forbidden City, we went to Tiananmen Square. It was chilly outside by this time, but we still walked around the whole square and even watched the
ceremony in which they took down the flag. The atmosphere was quite different in Tiananmen Square. There were soldiers and police everywhere. Police
cars patrolled the whole area and had speakerphones that replayed the same warning basically telling people to not do anything that would compromise
their safety. It was surreal being in Tiananmen Square after learning about it all these years.
Soon after, we went to dinner and had hot pot! It was delicious and we had some funny moments throughout dinner. We headed back to the hotel after
dinner and we have been hanging out with the Korean delegation playing cards! Overall, another great day! I’m really looking forward to seeing the Great
Wall tomorrow!
Shara Weaver-March 22, 2009
Today was a very bittersweet day because it entailed the closing ceremony of the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. All of the students from
around the world joined together to celebrate our accomplishments in science and technology. A few of the Chinese students were given awards and
scholarship money. One of the most fascinating scholarships was one that enabled students to study in Australia! An incredible moment was when all of the
international delegations were given gold medals for participating in the competition. We all were winners!
After the award ceremony, we visited the Botanical Gardens, which is an award winning garden for its wonderful attraction to many groups. It even was a
place for newlyweds to take their formal wedding pictures at. There were many interesting looking flowers and trees. One group of flowers formed to
represent the Olympic rings. We later left the gardens to change clothes at the hotel.
After changing, we were able to visit the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was spectacular in its designs and vastness! I truly
enjoyed viewing the many buildings and reading the history of them. Tiananmen Square was a heartfelt place that really had a great deal of meaning to it
because of its past. There were many guards and police that attempted to protect the grounds. We walked around while trying to pay respect to the
memorial. We were even able to watch a ceremony that entailed the lowering of the Chinese Flag.
When all of the sightseeing was over, we reflected upon it all over some hot food! We ate at the Hotpot and it was interesting watching everyone attempt to
cook their own food. My favorite moment was watching Mrs. Bartlet put a cookie in the boiling water after she heard someone say put everything in the water!
We shared great memories over dinner and it is something that I will never forget. I cannot fathom that we only have one full day left here in Beijing. I am
enjoying it so much here and I am sure that I will cry when I leave! For now, I am ready to visit the Great Wall and do some shopping for friends and family at
home. Until next time!
Darren Zhu-March 22, 2009
Our actual competition concluded today. We began the morning early as we walked over to the school for the closing ceremony and final awards. While all
the international students were presented first place medals, the actual Chinese competitors received either first place or second place medals. The
ceremony, although quite formal, was still interesting and gave me a taste of many customs and formalities of Chinese culture. Afterwards, we ate our final
meal at the middle/high school and went to visit a world-renowned botanical garden in Beijing. There, we spent much time exploring various plants and
flowers of both China and the world. Once we finished our tour of all of the exhibits, we returned to our hotel, where we were able to dress down to casual
clothing in preparation of our trip to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. After our bus arrived, we first walked through Forbidden City, where I was
amazed by both the magnitude of the complex and the intricacies and details included in all components of the buildings. We then went to Tiananmen
Square, where we also got a chance to first see the Mao Memorial Hall. Once we got to the actual square, we were fortunate enough to also get the
opportunity to watch the flag ceremony, which attracted a large multitude of visitors. Overall, the visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City today
was an extremely culturally insightful experience.
March 23, 2009 Beijing, China
Yesterday was a full day for all of us. We started out by attending the awards and closing ceremony in the morning, lunch at the school, visiting the
Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, then concluding with dinner. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are both fascinating, historical sites.
Today we adventure off at 7:15 a.m. for The Great Wall and then The Summer Palace. We’re scheduled to conclude with shopping in the silk market and
dinner. This will be another full-packed day, but very much worthwhile! Off for now.
Brandon Young-March 22, 2009
Today was the last day with the BYSCC, the closing ceremonies were held this morning and it was obvious that the excitement for the students was building
with every moment. They started out with some special awards which included our medals which we received for being in attendance. However, everyone
was very pleased with the award that we received and felt that we were definitely worthy of the honor. After, the awards ceremony we headed to the flower
park as the Chinese called it and the best thing about this trip was the fact that we had a police escort the entire way to the garden. So, the normal hustle
and bustle of the traffic was paused for us to travel through, it was an incredible feeling. While we spent time at the garden we realized just how pretty it
really is and how amazing some of the plants their actually were. One surprising thing that was taken place as we passed through the garden was the
number of couples who were getting their wedding photos taken, the numbers reached into the twenties. It must be a very popular spot for this particular
event.
We then again had lunch at the middle school which to say the least was not one of our best meals that we have experienced so far. But, afterwards we
traveled to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square where a lot of Chinese history was experienced. After staying in Tiananmen Square to witness the
flag lowering ceremony we went to a hot pot restaurant which was actually very tasty, although it did not necessarily fill us up. The dinner was good, but we
had to go to a local market to get some snacks for the room. When we reached the hotel for the night we spent a lot of time with the Koreans teaching them
card games and them doing likewise. The day was very jam-packed, but very fun.
Eileen Jang- March 22, 2009
Today we went to the closing ceremony of the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition! The closing ceremony was formal and in Beijing, all the students
are considered winners, so they awarded a lot of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards. Students also won various scholarships. All the international students
were also given medals for participation! We had a great time and I’m glad we got to be a part of the competition.
After the closing ceremony, we went straight to Beijing’s International Botanical Garden, which was a real treat. They had plants from all around the world!
After the Botanical Garden, we went back to the hotel to change and then we headed to the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was amazing. I couldn’t believe that the Forbidden City had been standing for so long! I got to take a bunch of great photos and walk
around. We saw all the different internal palaces and even got to see what some of the old rooms looked like. My favorite part was probably the large pots
they had situated around the palace- they were for holding water in case a fire occurred. The designs were really neat.
After the Forbidden City, we went to Tiananmen Square. It was chilly outside by this time, but we still walked around the whole square and even watched the
ceremony in which they took down the flag. The atmosphere was quite different in Tiananmen Square. There were soldiers and police everywhere. Police
cars patrolled the whole area and had speakerphones that replayed the same warning basically telling people to not do anything that would compromise
their safety. It was surreal being in Tiananmen Square after learning about it all these years.
Soon after, we went to dinner and had hot pot! It was delicious and we had some funny moments throughout dinner. We headed back to the hotel after
dinner and we have been hanging out with the Korean delegation playing cards! Overall, another great day! I’m really looking forward to seeing the Great
Wall tomorrow!
Shara Weaver-March 22, 2009
Today was a very bittersweet day because it entailed the closing ceremony of the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition. All of the students from
around the world joined together to celebrate our accomplishments in science and technology. A few of the Chinese students were given awards and
scholarship money. One of the most fascinating scholarships was one that enabled students to study in Australia! An incredible moment was when all of the
international delegations were given gold medals for participating in the competition. We all were winners!
After the award ceremony, we visited the Botanical Gardens, which is an award winning garden for its wonderful attraction to many groups. It even was a
place for newlyweds to take their formal wedding pictures at. There were many interesting looking flowers and trees. One group of flowers formed to
represent the Olympic rings. We later left the gardens to change clothes at the hotel.
After changing, we were able to visit the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was spectacular in its designs and vastness! I truly
enjoyed viewing the many buildings and reading the history of them. Tiananmen Square was a heartfelt place that really had a great deal of meaning to it
because of its past. There were many guards and police that attempted to protect the grounds. We walked around while trying to pay respect to the
memorial. We were even able to watch a ceremony that entailed the lowering of the Chinese Flag.
When all of the sightseeing was over, we reflected upon it all over some hot food! We ate at the Hotpot and it was interesting watching everyone attempt to
cook their own food. My favorite moment was watching Mrs. Bartlet put a cookie in the boiling water after she heard someone say put everything in the water!
We shared great memories over dinner and it is something that I will never forget. I cannot fathom that we only have one full day left here in Beijing. I am
enjoying it so much here and I am sure that I will cry when I leave! For now, I am ready to visit the Great Wall and do some shopping for friends and family at
home. Until next time!
Darren Zhu-March 22, 2009
Our actual competition concluded today. We began the morning early as we walked over to the school for the closing ceremony and final awards. While all
the international students were presented first place medals, the actual Chinese competitors received either first place or second place medals. The
ceremony, although quite formal, was still interesting and gave me a taste of many customs and formalities of Chinese culture. Afterwards, we ate our final
meal at the middle/high school and went to visit a world-renowned botanical garden in Beijing. There, we spent much time exploring various plants and
flowers of both China and the world. Once we finished our tour of all of the exhibits, we returned to our hotel, where we were able to dress down to casual
clothing in preparation of our trip to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. After our bus arrived, we first walked through Forbidden City, where I was
amazed by both the magnitude of the complex and the intricacies and details included in all components of the buildings. We then went to Tiananmen
Square, where we also got a chance to first see the Mao Memorial Hall. Once we got to the actual square, we were fortunate enough to also get the
opportunity to watch the flag ceremony, which attracted a large multitude of visitors. Overall, the visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City today
was an extremely culturally insightful experience.
Brandon Young-March 23, 2009
Today was our last full day in Beijing, China and needless to say it was the most fun. We started out with breakfast as usual and I am so glad that it is not the
traditional Chinese breakfast that was served last year. After we all were good and full we boarded our respective buses and headed out for the Great Wall of
China. However, this bus ride was surprisingly long and I was glad that I had my I-pod handy. About five minutes from the entrance to the Great Wall of China
the spectacle really began and the structure could start to become visible the winding road leading up to one of the entrances that we were going to go in
through. While entering the Great Wall the task ahead of us seemed insurmountable however we just took it step by step and ended up reaching the top (as far
as they would let us go). On the way we passed friends and took many pictures which will be very good in terms of sharing this experience with some of my fellow
classmates. Next, we went to a porcelain factory where we got to see how some of the vases were made and ironically we also had lunch on the top floor of this
factory. Our next destination was the Summer Palace which is just an incredible place that everyone should visit one time in their lifetime. The story behind its
construction and the sheer size of it will leave you breathless.
The final thing that we did was go shopping at the Silk market which was an enjoyable experience because of the amount of bargaining that occurs per store.
Although many of the items could be and probably are fake the enjoyment of still getting it many dollars less than in America is amazing. So, we had our final
dinner together where some speeches were made and some entertainment was put on by some of the delegations (including ours). Back at the hotel we
exchanged e-mail addresses and just enjoyed one final night together before everyone will part ways in the morning. This trip was amazing.
Eileen Jang- March 23, 2009
Today was the last full day of activities in Beijing and I can hardly believe this trip has passed so quickly! We ate breakfast in the morning before heading over to
the Great Wall. The Great Wall was magnificent: the whole time I was there, I kept thinking about how amazing it is that they were able to construct the entire wall.
The steps were hard to climb and there were rails on the side that you could hold on to- one of our translators told me that the rails were actually for soldiers to
rest their bow and arrows on, not for tourists to hang on to. I would love to go back again sometime and climb more of the Great Wall.
After climbing the Great Wall, we went to a place where people crafted porcelain vases and figures. The finished vases were incredibly detailed and beautiful.
We ate lunch at the factory and then we went to the Summer Palace, which was also breathtaking. I could spend a whole day there strolling around.
The last place we visited before dinner was the Silk Market. The market was gigantic! It had around 8 floors of pure shopping goodness. It was hard learning
how to bargain, but after watching some people bargain for their purchases, I finally got the feel of it. It was a lot of fun and is another place I would love to visit
again.
For dinner, we had Beijing duck, one of the most prominently-featured dishes in Beijing. It was delicious! We also gave a toast to BAST and all the volunteers
that helped us through the whole week. Once we got back to the hotel, we exchanged email addresses with all the other delegations so that we can stay in touch.
This trip has been absolutely amazing, and I am sad that we have to part with all the new friends we made here!
Darren Zhu - Day 6 (Monday, March 23, 2009)
Today was our most relaxed day yet, as we spent it sightseeing and touring various cultural aspects of China. We began our morning at the Great Wall of China,
where we climbed the Juyongguan section. The pass was relatively mild at the beginning, with only moderate to no slope stairs, although as we got to the middle
and the end of the section, we encountered steep walkways, which we found to be significantly more strenuous. Once we had gotten to the top of our section and
the highest tower, however, the climb was clearly worth it, as we had not only an amazing view of the mountains and wall from the top, but also a gratifying feeling
of having successfully climbed a portion of the Great Wall. Nevertheless, we came to find that this trip up was indeed the easier half of the trip, as we made our
way down slowly and carefully down the big steps, realizing that we were getting much more tired on our way down. Unfortunately, because of time, we had to
return in the same route that we had originally taken; nonetheless, the experience at the Great Wall was overall amazing, in terms of its cultural, historical, and
physical relevance.
Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch at a factory specializing in cloisonné, where we had first gotten a tour of the tedious process of hand-making blue pottery.
Once we finished, we headed to the Summer Palace, which we found to be not only extremely spacious, but also very beautiful. I found the Buddhist statues,
decorated walkway, and various ships to be extremely fascinating, especially because I had not had a chance to visit the Summer Palace during my previous trip
to Beijing. Once we had finished our tour there, we capped the night off at the Silk Market, where we had the opportunity to purchase many different goods at
extremely discounted prices via aggressive bargaining. After an extremely tiring experience at the market, we were rewarded by a traditional Beijing dinner at a
roast duck restaurant, which was very delicious. Finally, once we got to the hotel, we spent the night exchanging final goodbyes to the other students, as well as
gifts and then prepared for our long journey back to the United States today.
Shara Weaver-March 23, 2009
Wow! This has been such a wonderful trip! I am absolutely happy at how much fun we have had here in Beijing, China. Today is our last day here and it has
already made me shed a few tears. The New Zealand students left very early this morning and they really left with a bang. Before we ate breakfast we said
goodbye to the Korean, Ukrainian, and Italian students. It was really bittersweet because we had so much fun with them.
This entire experience is something that is truly life changing because I was exposed to many different cultures. We all have traveled from different walks of life
but we unite under the common passion for science and technology. I will take a great deal of knowledge back to the United States from what I have learned. I was
delighted to be able to climb the Great Wall and visit the Summer Palace. As a middle school student I always remembered seeing the Great Wall in history books
and to actually be there is something that I have no words for.
As we head back to the United States, I am reflecting on how grateful I am to have experienced this. I am blessed to have been apart of something so wonderful. I
have learned more about other places through their students and with this I have become a better person. My outlook on life has changed and I really hope to
travel to new places. This was a wonderful trip!
Today was our last full day in Beijing, China and needless to say it was the most fun. We started out with breakfast as usual and I am so glad that it is not the
traditional Chinese breakfast that was served last year. After we all were good and full we boarded our respective buses and headed out for the Great Wall of
China. However, this bus ride was surprisingly long and I was glad that I had my I-pod handy. About five minutes from the entrance to the Great Wall of China
the spectacle really began and the structure could start to become visible the winding road leading up to one of the entrances that we were going to go in
through. While entering the Great Wall the task ahead of us seemed insurmountable however we just took it step by step and ended up reaching the top (as far
as they would let us go). On the way we passed friends and took many pictures which will be very good in terms of sharing this experience with some of my fellow
classmates. Next, we went to a porcelain factory where we got to see how some of the vases were made and ironically we also had lunch on the top floor of this
factory. Our next destination was the Summer Palace which is just an incredible place that everyone should visit one time in their lifetime. The story behind its
construction and the sheer size of it will leave you breathless.
The final thing that we did was go shopping at the Silk market which was an enjoyable experience because of the amount of bargaining that occurs per store.
Although many of the items could be and probably are fake the enjoyment of still getting it many dollars less than in America is amazing. So, we had our final
dinner together where some speeches were made and some entertainment was put on by some of the delegations (including ours). Back at the hotel we
exchanged e-mail addresses and just enjoyed one final night together before everyone will part ways in the morning. This trip was amazing.
Eileen Jang- March 23, 2009
Today was the last full day of activities in Beijing and I can hardly believe this trip has passed so quickly! We ate breakfast in the morning before heading over to
the Great Wall. The Great Wall was magnificent: the whole time I was there, I kept thinking about how amazing it is that they were able to construct the entire wall.
The steps were hard to climb and there were rails on the side that you could hold on to- one of our translators told me that the rails were actually for soldiers to
rest their bow and arrows on, not for tourists to hang on to. I would love to go back again sometime and climb more of the Great Wall.
After climbing the Great Wall, we went to a place where people crafted porcelain vases and figures. The finished vases were incredibly detailed and beautiful.
We ate lunch at the factory and then we went to the Summer Palace, which was also breathtaking. I could spend a whole day there strolling around.
The last place we visited before dinner was the Silk Market. The market was gigantic! It had around 8 floors of pure shopping goodness. It was hard learning
how to bargain, but after watching some people bargain for their purchases, I finally got the feel of it. It was a lot of fun and is another place I would love to visit
again.
For dinner, we had Beijing duck, one of the most prominently-featured dishes in Beijing. It was delicious! We also gave a toast to BAST and all the volunteers
that helped us through the whole week. Once we got back to the hotel, we exchanged email addresses with all the other delegations so that we can stay in touch.
This trip has been absolutely amazing, and I am sad that we have to part with all the new friends we made here!
Darren Zhu - Day 6 (Monday, March 23, 2009)
Today was our most relaxed day yet, as we spent it sightseeing and touring various cultural aspects of China. We began our morning at the Great Wall of China,
where we climbed the Juyongguan section. The pass was relatively mild at the beginning, with only moderate to no slope stairs, although as we got to the middle
and the end of the section, we encountered steep walkways, which we found to be significantly more strenuous. Once we had gotten to the top of our section and
the highest tower, however, the climb was clearly worth it, as we had not only an amazing view of the mountains and wall from the top, but also a gratifying feeling
of having successfully climbed a portion of the Great Wall. Nevertheless, we came to find that this trip up was indeed the easier half of the trip, as we made our
way down slowly and carefully down the big steps, realizing that we were getting much more tired on our way down. Unfortunately, because of time, we had to
return in the same route that we had originally taken; nonetheless, the experience at the Great Wall was overall amazing, in terms of its cultural, historical, and
physical relevance.
Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch at a factory specializing in cloisonné, where we had first gotten a tour of the tedious process of hand-making blue pottery.
Once we finished, we headed to the Summer Palace, which we found to be not only extremely spacious, but also very beautiful. I found the Buddhist statues,
decorated walkway, and various ships to be extremely fascinating, especially because I had not had a chance to visit the Summer Palace during my previous trip
to Beijing. Once we had finished our tour there, we capped the night off at the Silk Market, where we had the opportunity to purchase many different goods at
extremely discounted prices via aggressive bargaining. After an extremely tiring experience at the market, we were rewarded by a traditional Beijing dinner at a
roast duck restaurant, which was very delicious. Finally, once we got to the hotel, we spent the night exchanging final goodbyes to the other students, as well as
gifts and then prepared for our long journey back to the United States today.
Shara Weaver-March 23, 2009
Wow! This has been such a wonderful trip! I am absolutely happy at how much fun we have had here in Beijing, China. Today is our last day here and it has
already made me shed a few tears. The New Zealand students left very early this morning and they really left with a bang. Before we ate breakfast we said
goodbye to the Korean, Ukrainian, and Italian students. It was really bittersweet because we had so much fun with them.
This entire experience is something that is truly life changing because I was exposed to many different cultures. We all have traveled from different walks of life
but we unite under the common passion for science and technology. I will take a great deal of knowledge back to the United States from what I have learned. I was
delighted to be able to climb the Great Wall and visit the Summer Palace. As a middle school student I always remembered seeing the Great Wall in history books
and to actually be there is something that I have no words for.
As we head back to the United States, I am reflecting on how grateful I am to have experienced this. I am blessed to have been apart of something so wonderful. I
have learned more about other places through their students and with this I have become a better person. My outlook on life has changed and I really hope to
travel to new places. This was a wonderful trip!
Robin Bergeron-Nolan
March 24, 2009 Beijing, China
Yesterday was wonderful! After breakfast, we visited the Great Wall and participated in an invigorating climb. The weather was perfect…the best I’ve seen when
visiting China. After lunch at a company that makes antique/collectables, we ventured off to The Summer Palace which was spectacular. Not much time at that
site so we were booking to get from one gate to the other. Then shopping at the Silk Market. As always not enough time to maneuver and determine what they
have and what you want. Oh well, we improvised. Dinner was great with Peking Duck as one of the entrees. The evening concluded at around 10:15 p.m. and
then there was packing in preparation for the next day. This morning we said good-bye to our guests which was a fond, but sad farewell. Our hosts were
extremely well organized and provided very nicely for all of us. We were most fortunate to have this opportunity. We will miss our friends here in China.
March 24, 2009 Beijing, China
Yesterday was wonderful! After breakfast, we visited the Great Wall and participated in an invigorating climb. The weather was perfect…the best I’ve seen when
visiting China. After lunch at a company that makes antique/collectables, we ventured off to The Summer Palace which was spectacular. Not much time at that
site so we were booking to get from one gate to the other. Then shopping at the Silk Market. As always not enough time to maneuver and determine what they
have and what you want. Oh well, we improvised. Dinner was great with Peking Duck as one of the entrees. The evening concluded at around 10:15 p.m. and
then there was packing in preparation for the next day. This morning we said good-bye to our guests which was a fond, but sad farewell. Our hosts were
extremely well organized and provided very nicely for all of us. We were most fortunate to have this opportunity. We will miss our friends here in China.
Brandon Young-Final Blog
We are all now back at home after
about a 13 hour plane ride back to the
United States. The plane we were on
was very accommodating and made it
very easy to travel between the two
countries. However, our trip is now
over and we have all gone back to our
regular lives in North Carolina. So far,
it has been somewhat hard for me to
get back on the right time schedule
and I find myself taking more naps
than usual, however not during school
of course. I only have to hang in for
one more week then we are on spring
break and I can catch up on all the
sleep that I have missed. With this
time to think back about my trip I start
to realize just how grateful I am that I
got to have this experience twice,
participating in the BYSCC was a great
honor and having the ability to
collaborate with so many other
countries was a real treat.
This trip was definitely one for the
memory books, we had a lot of laughs
and did a lot of fun things, while also
experiencing some incredible events
as well. For instance, having a police
escort to the “Flower Park” was
amazing that was something new I
think for all of us. Also, the group that
we had this year seemed to have good
chemistry and we all seemed to
appreciate each others company. I am
very happy that this particular group
was the one selected to represent the
United States because I am extremely
certain that we did an excellent job.
Plus, who knows if another group had
taken our place the outcome could
have been far worse.
In the end, we made a lot of friends
and of course took a lot of photos. By
the end of the trip we were all using
chopsticks very effectively and all of us
were enjoying the Chinese cuisine that
was being served. Overall, this trip
was incredible and I am very thankful
to all of our sponsors who allowed us
to participate in this prestigious
competition, because comparing your
life with a Chinese kid’s is a real treat
as to what different experiences we all
encounter. I had so much fun and
would encourage any kid to try and
participate in this incredible journey.
We are all now back at home after
about a 13 hour plane ride back to the
United States. The plane we were on
was very accommodating and made it
very easy to travel between the two
countries. However, our trip is now
over and we have all gone back to our
regular lives in North Carolina. So far,
it has been somewhat hard for me to
get back on the right time schedule
and I find myself taking more naps
than usual, however not during school
of course. I only have to hang in for
one more week then we are on spring
break and I can catch up on all the
sleep that I have missed. With this
time to think back about my trip I start
to realize just how grateful I am that I
got to have this experience twice,
participating in the BYSCC was a great
honor and having the ability to
collaborate with so many other
countries was a real treat.
This trip was definitely one for the
memory books, we had a lot of laughs
and did a lot of fun things, while also
experiencing some incredible events
as well. For instance, having a police
escort to the “Flower Park” was
amazing that was something new I
think for all of us. Also, the group that
we had this year seemed to have good
chemistry and we all seemed to
appreciate each others company. I am
very happy that this particular group
was the one selected to represent the
United States because I am extremely
certain that we did an excellent job.
Plus, who knows if another group had
taken our place the outcome could
have been far worse.
In the end, we made a lot of friends
and of course took a lot of photos. By
the end of the trip we were all using
chopsticks very effectively and all of us
were enjoying the Chinese cuisine that
was being served. Overall, this trip
was incredible and I am very thankful
to all of our sponsors who allowed us
to participate in this prestigious
competition, because comparing your
life with a Chinese kid’s is a real treat
as to what different experiences we all
encounter. I had so much fun and
would encourage any kid to try and
participate in this incredible journey.
Shara Weaver-Final Blog
This has been a wonderful trip and I
am grateful for this opportunity. It has
been almost a week since we came
back to the United States. I am already
returning to my normal hectic yet
exciting routine of school and activities.
This is the month where high school
students across the nation make their
final decision about what college they
will attend for the next four years and I
am very anxious to make my decision!
This trip has put an enormous
explanation point to the end of my
senior year!
I truly enjoyed visiting Beijing, China
and being able to share life-lasting
memories with students from all over
the world. I was able to share my
experience of research with other
student and I at the same time learned
a great deal from their experiences.
The eagerness of learning science
was universally apparent in Beijing and
I will use this experience to fuel all of
my future endeavors.
I would like to thank the North Carolina
Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Education Center (SMT
Technology Education Center (SMT
Grassroots Science Museums Center)
and the North Carolina Collaborative
(GSMC) for this prospect. I also would
like to thank the North Carolina Project
SEED program and Dr. R Mark
Wightman for the exposure that I
gained in research at the University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Department
of Chemistry during the past two years.
I am appreciative for my experience
with Karen Giroux and all of the
knowledge that I gained about the
importance of animal research with
her. Lastly, I would like to express
gratitude to my family and friends for
their continued support in my passion
for science.
This has been a wonderful trip and I
am grateful for this opportunity. It has
been almost a week since we came
back to the United States. I am already
returning to my normal hectic yet
exciting routine of school and activities.
This is the month where high school
students across the nation make their
final decision about what college they
will attend for the next four years and I
am very anxious to make my decision!
This trip has put an enormous
explanation point to the end of my
senior year!
I truly enjoyed visiting Beijing, China
and being able to share life-lasting
memories with students from all over
the world. I was able to share my
experience of research with other
student and I at the same time learned
a great deal from their experiences.
The eagerness of learning science
was universally apparent in Beijing and
I will use this experience to fuel all of
my future endeavors.
I would like to thank the North Carolina
Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Education Center (SMT
Technology Education Center (SMT
Grassroots Science Museums Center)
and the North Carolina Collaborative
(GSMC) for this prospect. I also would
like to thank the North Carolina Project
SEED program and Dr. R Mark
Wightman for the exposure that I
gained in research at the University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Department
of Chemistry during the past two years.
I am appreciative for my experience
with Karen Giroux and all of the
knowledge that I gained about the
importance of animal research with
her. Lastly, I would like to express
gratitude to my family and friends for
their continued support in my passion
for science.
Melissa Bartlett’s March 21 2009
I’m sitting in our third ceremony today – first was the opening ceremony, then last night came the special awards and wonderful cultural dances, and now the
closing ceremony. The caliber of production is quite high and very professional – I wonder has it always been so or is this a skill set that has been enhanced
by the impact of the recent Olympic experiences Beijing has successfully conquered? What strikes me as a profound difference between our western to be
filled in by the responsible participants. Here absolutely nothing is left to chance – there are practice sessions even with the audience prior to the beginning
of the ceremonies – just to make sure they react appropriately. There are foot marks on the stage where prize recipients are to stand. Directions are given
for every move made by every person (including us) so there are no mishaps that could cause a loss of face. Perhaps this reliance on structure to protect
and assure maintenance of face is the root cause of the lack of creativity that the Chinese themselves recognize as the main barrier to superiority in
innovation. If (when?) harmony is found between these two opposing values – group discipline vs. individual autonomy – the holder of that harmony could
true lead the world.
I’m sitting in our third ceremony today – first was the opening ceremony, then last night came the special awards and wonderful cultural dances, and now the
closing ceremony. The caliber of production is quite high and very professional – I wonder has it always been so or is this a skill set that has been enhanced
by the impact of the recent Olympic experiences Beijing has successfully conquered? What strikes me as a profound difference between our western to be
filled in by the responsible participants. Here absolutely nothing is left to chance – there are practice sessions even with the audience prior to the beginning
of the ceremonies – just to make sure they react appropriately. There are foot marks on the stage where prize recipients are to stand. Directions are given
for every move made by every person (including us) so there are no mishaps that could cause a loss of face. Perhaps this reliance on structure to protect
and assure maintenance of face is the root cause of the lack of creativity that the Chinese themselves recognize as the main barrier to superiority in
innovation. If (when?) harmony is found between these two opposing values – group discipline vs. individual autonomy – the holder of that harmony could
true lead the world.
Eileen Jang-Final Blog
Looking back, this trip was everything I
could have hoped for and more! I
made some great friends who live
halfway across the world, displayed my
research in an international setting,
learned so much about communicating
with others, saw how other countries
run their education systems, and
visited the magnificent landmarks of
China. I came back realizing that I
have so much more to see out there,
and that I really want to do something
about science education not only in
the United States, but elsewhere in this
world.
Coming back to NC was pretty tough. I
missed the great food and nice hotel,
but more than anything, I missed all
the interaction I had with the other
students who were in Beijing. We
talked not only about tastes in music
(apparently kids in New Zealand listen
to exactly what we listen to!), but also
about how different our lives were.
Hearing their stories of how they got to
exhibit their research in Beijing was
exciting! I wanted to see the world
from their point of view; I wanted to visit
those different provinces in China,
Australia, Italy, South Korea... This trip
opened my mind to new ideas and new
dreams.
I would like to thank Dr. Nolan and all
the adults on our trip for making it such
a success and helping us in every way,
my teachers and mentors, BAST, and
all the people in Beijing who helped us
make this an incredible trip!
Looking back, this trip was everything I
could have hoped for and more! I
made some great friends who live
halfway across the world, displayed my
research in an international setting,
learned so much about communicating
with others, saw how other countries
run their education systems, and
visited the magnificent landmarks of
China. I came back realizing that I
have so much more to see out there,
and that I really want to do something
about science education not only in
the United States, but elsewhere in this
world.
Coming back to NC was pretty tough. I
missed the great food and nice hotel,
but more than anything, I missed all
the interaction I had with the other
students who were in Beijing. We
talked not only about tastes in music
(apparently kids in New Zealand listen
to exactly what we listen to!), but also
about how different our lives were.
Hearing their stories of how they got to
exhibit their research in Beijing was
exciting! I wanted to see the world
from their point of view; I wanted to visit
those different provinces in China,
Australia, Italy, South Korea... This trip
opened my mind to new ideas and new
dreams.
I would like to thank Dr. Nolan and all
the adults on our trip for making it such
a success and helping us in every way,
my teachers and mentors, BAST, and
all the people in Beijing who helped us
make this an incredible trip!
As I reflect upon my overall trip, I
recognize the immense value that the
Beijing Youth Science Creation
Conference has had. From cultural
regards to scientific tenets to social
aspects, my values in has been
shaped significantly by my experiences
in China. Specifically, I have truly
appreciated the opportunity to
recognize the differences between
American and Chinese lifestyles and
character. For example, I would like to
relay the story of a Chinese student
that we had befriended during the
conference, Jia Rundong. As a
student who was extremely passionate
in zoology, he decided to conduct
behavioral studies in a Beijing zoo
regarding aggressive gibbons. After
running very thorough experiments
that analyzed the stimuli of attacking
behavior, he was awarded 1st place,
as well as a special award in the
competition that gave him 1500 yuan.
Unlike most American students, who
would likely spend the award money on
materialistic desires, such as
purchasing an iPod or clothes, Jia
decided to donate all the money that
he won back to the zoo to improve the
living conditions of the gibbons that he
researched, a decision that is not only
extremely mature but also very
compassionate. Through our
encounters with all the international
students, many of whom with passions,
dedication, and character much like
Jia, I have truly been able to attain a
new perspective not only in science, as
the conference aimed to achieve, but
also in social awareness.
As much fun as I had in China, I must
now thank everyone who allowed the
trip to be successful. First, I would like
to thank everyone who accompanied
me along the way, from the students to
the teachers to the administrators. I
would also like to acknowledge both
the NC Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Center and Beijing
Association for Science and
Technology for financially supporting
our trip. Finally, I would like to thank
all of my research mentors and
scientists whom I have been fortunate
enough to work with.