Sunday, April 1, 2012

Science Sundays and the Discovery Center


Megan Collins ENG 336.001


Every Sunday at Frostburg State University in the Compton building there is an event that happens which helps to expand on knowledge of both astronomy and the animal world. This event starts at 4p.m in room 224 and then travels down to the Discovery Center on the first floor. Dr. Robert Doyle associate professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering, and Nicholas Wilson curator of Frostburg Science Discovery Center in the College of Liberal Arts and Science department, try to keep things interesting to not only the students who are there for numerous reasons such as interest and extra credit, but also the locals from town and people who have traveled miles to visit their families. In case there is an emergency and Nicholas Wilson cannot be there he leaves the Discovery Center in the hands of the docents of the Discovery Center who are trained to occasionally lead the tours. When asked about how the idea of science Sundays began Nicholas Wilson said “Dr. Doyle got the idea, it originated from him doing the planetarium programs and wanting to expand upon different subjects within science in order to attract a more diverse group of visitors” because, “it’s a regular outreach program for diverse audiences to educate about astronomy and draw connections with the natural world here on earth.” Dr. Doyle says that “Science Sundays started a few years ago when I had been doing tours of the Discovery Center following my 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Planetarium programs. We had a nice poster designed by Ann Townsell to advertise this 'Double Feature'.  Now the poster is updated and tweaked each year by Joni Smith (both Ann & Joni are graphic design people who work out of the P.R. Office.” He explained that his inspiration was “largely unknown to the general public and we needed to have a poster to promote both the Planetarium and Discovery Center. Some visitors to the Discovery Center thought that our facility in some ways was superior to the Smithsonian in Washington, particularly in regard to the interaction between the visitors and the docents. Also you can see the specimens much closer than in a big city museum where the preserved animals are behind glass or Plexiglas.” The reason he combined the use of constellations with the Discovery Center for a program was because “in the absence of the Planetarium, I wanted to have some way to present the current evening sky to our visitors at Science Sunday. So I added some sky info to the main feature (focused on different specimens) in the Discovery Center.” Through all the hard work it is important to take pleasure in the things that are being done as much as possible and Dr. Doyle does just that by working on the things he is passionate about. Dr. Doyle’s favorite part of Science Sunday is both showing the PowerPoint presentations and listening to Nick or one of the docents talk about the displays and says “these two parts complement each other very well. I am hoping to work with the Discovery Center for years to come, even after the new Planetarium opens up.” Dr. Doyle’s favorite part of the display is the leopard in the tree branches with his meal.
From a student perspective the event is a success. Two students, Alyssa and Ryan, were particularly interested Science Sundays. Alyssa Ballard a junior with a major in liberal studies from Odenton, Maryland said she would recommend others to attend the event and “yes, because it was actually interesting and better than I expected” and “I thought that it was well put together and was interesting so I didn’t get bored. I’ve gone twice already and learned something new every time.” An interesting fact that Alyssa said she learned was that “the reason why elephants ears are so big is because it’s so hot the ears provide a source of ventilation to cool themselves down and that polar bears skin is actually black to help absorb heat and their fur is not white.” Ryan Kasprzyk is a junior with a major in computer sciences from laurel, Maryland, said “I felt that the program was an excellent example of the Frostburg’s science department making good use of the facilities available to them to provide engaging tours and lectures.” An interesting fact that Ryan said he learned was “that there are deer with tusks.”

No comments: