National Chemistry Week Arrives at Mount Allison
written by Dr. Glen Briand, MCIC
The
Chemistry Department at Mount Allison recently celebrated
National Chemistry Week (October 17-25). Activities on campus kicked-off
on October 20 and 21 with a fun and interesting demonstration of a "sugar
snake" in the introductory chemistry classes. On October 22, anyone
passing through the Barclay (Chemistry) building was captivated by the
"Periodic Table of Cupcakes". The display was held the Chemistry
Lounge, and was followed by the sampling of elements, much to the delight of
those involved. Atom tasting began at noon and continued until all
elements, including all lanthanides and actinides, were consumed. The fun
continued with a Movie Night at the Crabtree Auditorium on October 22, where the
flick of choice was the thought-provoking and critically acclaimed "The
Nutty Professor". Probably the most successful event occurred on the
evening of October 23, when approximately 45 Mount Allison students met on the
first floor of the Barclay building to tie-dye a variety of cotton articles,
including curtains, bed sheets, and even underwear(!). The festivities
concluded on the evening of October 24 with a Chemistry Society member's party,
which was held at an off-campus location. All proceeds from the
memberships sold during the social were donated to The Relay for
Life, held on October 24. The Relay for Life was a major fundraising event
organized by "The Yellow Ribbon Society", which promotes cancer
awareness at Mount Allison.
The National Chemistry Week
activities were organized by the executive of the Chemistry Society, and was
sponsored by the Chemistry Society and the Chemistry Department.
"We're really happy with the turnout for the Chem Week activities ,"
said Society Vice-President, Sarah Whittleton. "There weren't only
chemistry students involved, but also students from a lot of other departments.
I think that makes this event a big success."
The organizers would like to thank those who volunteered their
time, as well as the Chemistry Department for helping sponsor the
activities. More can be learned about the Mount Allison Chemistry Society
at http://www.mta.ca/clubs/chem/.