In concept, chemistry is merely a school subject, exploring equations and structures of matter and energy, and the aspects that make up life. Some find the subject to be of great complexity, requiring great tenacity, whereas others find great ambition and passion in chemistry, excelling above the standard class level. Those who have an outstanding interest can apply for the AP course to challenge themselves a step further. However, to those willing to take it to an even greater extent, the Chemistry Club may be the choice for you!
Among these individuals willing to go above and beyond are the club officers: president Eric Lin, a junior; vice president Ashlee Zeng, a senior; secretary Cheryl Lin, a junior; and treasurer Henry Xue, a junior. The club displays great eagerness in encouraging others to participate in “new, fun, yet challenging chemistry-related extracurricular activities,” Eric expressed.
With the help of the American Chemical Society (ACS), which assists in the registration of extracurricular clubs, the Chemistry Club can be recognized and thrive in the upcoming year. Club advisor and chemistry teacher, Martin Berryman, elaborated on how the “ACS provides lots of resources” to the club.
According to Eric, the council initially started as a motivation to add a “challenge pathway” and incorporate the “fun activities from chemistry experiments” while testing the knowledge of students within school grounds. That’s when, collectively, the club felt it would be best to host monthly experiments whilst simultaneously announcing the Chemistry Olympiad.
Essentially, the Chemistry Olympiad, hosted by ACS, functions on a local, state-wide, national, and international level. The Olympiad features a series of exams, ranging through several chemistry departments, where at a local level, a 110-minute test with 60 multiple-choice questions will be featured. As students advance in rank, questions will progressively become more difficult.
Throughout the club meeting, Cheryl expressed the club’s goals of being able to “check up on the progress of our members” in concern to their progress towards the Olympiad. Eric added to this, hoping to “guide the members through the experiments and provide step-by-step procedures.”
Regarding the club’s plans, a few of their many goals include several collaborations and events, one of which is Mass Bio Builder, as well as hosting seminars and lectures with professors and chemistry experts.
To follow the Chemistry Club in their future endeavors, follow @mhschemistry_club on Instagram, and join their Google Classroom using the code ‘dc6jkggc’.
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