TRHS Science fair

Triton Regional High School (TRHS) became a very important part of Runnemede's anatomy in 1957. The first classes started in the new campus started in the fall of that year. In 1960-61, Alan, my husband, attended TRHS. He was on the football team, and I met him after football season was over when he finally was able to attend Hi-BA meetings which were held at our house.

But this is about the TRHS science fair held in 1961 -- and Alan's project. I recall that Fair because I was in love and I wanted to be with Alan all the time, and since he had to "man" his project for two days, I was able to be around him more than just passing him in the halls of the school. I recall manning my own project, but not that year. I was a junior and I had no science classes, as I opted not to take chemistry for reasons mentioned several times in the past, and physics was strictly a senior subject.

Anyway, Alan made a model of a home heating system. He got a doll house and made a basement for it, into which he "grew" this heating system. He cut holes in the floors of the rooms of the doll house which is where the hot air came out and he put little tiny streamers above the holes so people could see that there was at least air coming out of those holes. I believe if you held your hand over the "vents" you would feel heat.

My one and only science fair project was demonstrating photosynthesis -- whatever that is. Well, it has something to do with the way plants collect light in order for them to grow, and I was able to demonstrate the need for light by shoving one of my mothers philodendron in a closet for six weeks, while another of her philodendron was put on the back porch which received sun all day long. Another plant was placed in a back corner of a room, and while it got light, it didn't get as much as the porch. The porch plant did best. That was my big claim to fame.

I loved those science fairs, though. I really liked to see what my classmates came up with -- my own being so lame I was embarrassed. Some were really quite complex.

I know I didn't win any ribbons with my project. Nor did Alan.