Toxicology students will be participating in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair science fair this year. This is the first year Akins has participated in the worldwide science fair. The Intel ISEF is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.

“In May, I was invited to go to the Intel ISEF science fair in Pittsburgh,” Principal Daniel Girard said. “Looking at all of the projects, I thought of all the work we do here and that it would be a great opportunity for students to gain exposure to the competition.”

Millions of students worldwide compete each year in local, school-sponsored science fairs; the winners of these events go on to participate in Intel ISEF-affiliated regional and state fairs from which the best win the opportunity to attend the Intel ISEF.

“Our goal is to get all of the students participating to showcase their work in a science fair setting,” science teacher Christina Jenschke said. “ We hope that our students will earn scholarships at the Austin Energy Regional Science Fair.”

One group participating in the science fair is testing the connection between muscle memory and the human senses.

“We are trying to see which distraction to my senses is the most vulnerable while I shoot free throws,” senior Courtlan Ross said. “We are only testing sound, sight, taste, and smell since you cannot touch someone at the free throw line.”

“We had Courtlan shoot 25 free throws in a row and he made them all,” senior David Garza said. “Then he shot another 25 free throws but with a distraction to his senses.”

The group used ammonia to distract his smell, a jolly-rancher as the taste distraction, the buzzer on the shot clock to distract his hearing, and Pedro (Petey) Casiano on a ladder with his shirt off as the visual distraction.

“Courtlan did a good job of making the free throws but he missed the most while the buzzer was going off,” Garza said.

“I felt like I should have made all of my free throws but the buzzer was just too distracting,” Ross said.

Another group is testing if music notes can change the pattern of a heartbeat.

“I am going to take my heart rate for 30 seconds with an instrument playing,” senior Adam Capetillo said. “Then I will take my heart rate for 30 seconds without the instrument playing to see if it my heart rate increases.” The science students are preparing their projects in time for the February science fair. Hopes are high for good reviews.

“I really hope my group presents well at the science fair and we can possibly get some sort of award or scholarship for college,” Capetillo said.