By Paula Day

Light, the sun, and sunlight captured the interest of several would-be scientists at St. Thomas More School, sparking prize-winning science fair projects.

The Decatur school’s annual science fair was held January 7 and 8. Winners will compete in the Independent Schools Regional Fair at Our Lady of the Assumption School February 28.

Two students returned for a second year to capture top spots in their categories: earth science and zoology.

Michael Guerrucci, an eighth grade student, asked the question, “Can sunspots be used to measure the rate of solar rotation?” Using equipment at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Michael photographed the sun, noting the movement of a specific area of sunspots. Charting this movement, he determined that the sun takes a little less than 27.3 earth days to complete a rotation on its axis. Last year his solar science project won a second prize in the state fair in Athens. He is the son of Barbara and Enzo Guerucci. The family are members of St. John’s Melkite parish in Atlanta.

Anderson Hughes, another eighth grader, completed the second stage of his study of the reaction of the Loggerhead turtle to light. Last summer Anderson spent a week at a research center on Pritchard’s Island off the South Carolina coast. There he tested the response of 44 hatchling turtles to various intensities of blue, green, red and yellow light. He concluded that regardless of intensity, the turtles are less attracted by blue and green lights. This information could be used in coastal areas to help save the endangered species if filters on lights were modified. The hatchlings would be less apt to turn landward toward inevitable death after birth in the beach sand if the land lights did not attract them, Anderson hypothesizes.

Anderson’s parents are Robin and Chris Hughes. The family belongs to St. Thomas More parish.

Emily Hendley, a seventh grade student, investigated the effects of sunlight and fluorescent light on paper. Another seventh grader, Jennifer Nelson, enjoys swimming. She wondered if there were any chlorine-resistant bacterium in today’s swimming pools and hot tubs. She discovered that while the level of such organisms is rising in the pools she tested, chlorine still keeps bacteria within healthful limits. Dianne and Clint Hendley are Emily’s parents; Sally and Mark Nelson are Jennifer’s. Both families belong to Corpus Christi parish in Stone Mountain.

Theresa DeSandre wanted to know if there is any difference in memory retention between boys and girls. For three weeks she taught American Sign Language to seven-year-olds, eight boys and eight girls. At the end of each week, using a stopwatch, she tested the quickness of the youngsters’ responses to signs and found both sexes remember the same sign language terms in the same amount of time. Theresa is the eight grade daughter of Lee and Bart DeSandre of St. Thomas More parish.