Over a Decade of Judging the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair - Steve Keefer Interview

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Over a Decade of Judging the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair - Steve Keefer Interview

SECO News: This is Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News on seconews.org. We are here at Otero College for the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair, and with us is Steve Keefer. Now you're recently retired from the CPW and this is not your day job, but this is not your first rodeo either. Tell us about your experience judging the science fair.

Keefer: I've been judging this one, I'm not sure how many years, It'd be over ten, well over 10, probably over a decade. Okay. I've been doing it almost as long as they've been doing it at Otero College. I also was able to judge it a few years in Las Animas when they had the elementary science fair. To me, it's one of the highlights of the year. It's a lot of fun. The kids are great. It's neat to see what they're learning, what they're doing. There's a wide range. You have everything from some who you're sitting there thinking this belongs in college, not in high school. To some that, okay, they need some work, but they're trying they're putting out some effort.

SECO News: Every year's a learning experience with one of these projects. Exactly. I know, I certainly remember the elementary years doing the science fair and not ever making it this far. But over the years you've seen some rather outstanding projects, I'm sure. Oh, do you want to tell us about any that particularly popped for you this year?

Keefer: The one that probably all of us or most of us did is are looking at, is there's a one on tarantulas on the soils and the conditions under which they broke. That was extremely well done for a high school level project.

SECO News: Very cool project too, that seems more than ambitious for a high school project that, that's a lot for high school.

Keefer: It, this is actually one that's running into that college level project. All of them. To grow and improve, but they are doing or did an incredible job here. Yeah. And had that in the younger levels, had a young lady that was working with salts and how it melted ice and different types of salt and all of that really knew her stuff and was really knowledgeable and capable, but I enjoyed all of 'em. We had some kids who did different things, use a 3D printer and different types of fly traps and to see what went well and just a lot of deep projects. Very cool. And I don't get to judge all of them, so I'm sure there's some that are just as great that I missed.

SECO News: Thank you for doing it. Earlier I was talking with Warren McClure about volunteers being needed for the judging process. Do you want to tell us about it? You said it's like you really look forward to it. It's almost like your little Disneyland, but can you tell us about some of the difficulties with it?

Keefer: Sure. What you're wanting to do, and they give you a set of guidelines on what to look for. But what you want to do is look at the board, see how they present the project. See how things match up. I'm gonna look at the notes, the notebook, see what kinda recording we've done. And then the best part is doing the interview, finding out what the kids know. There's usually something unique or neat that they tell you about that you're sitting there thinking, oh, I didn't know that, or, I hadn't thought of that for a long time, or whatever, and seeing what they've learned. A lot of these kids are enthusiastic. I know not all of them, but I'm sure a lot of them are going to be going into Science or a science related field in the future and this helps build their skill level and their understanding, even if they aren't in a science related field. As citizens, it'll help 'em understand science and have a better idea when something's presented to them.

SECO News: Yep. And if you can stand there and you can present your project and handle the beads of sweat from the stress, from the judging It's certainly an experience for the kids to learn and grow from.

Keefer: So yeah, you see some that are having the nerves. We try to put 'em at ease, but I also get it, it's a new experience for some of 'em. Really scary, but we try not to make it scary.

SECO News: Yep. Very good. No scary projects here. They've got the "Does Octane Effect Mileage Per Gallon?" That one might be a little shocking, maybe not so scary.

Keefer: Yeah, I haven't seen what the results are on that one, but I'd be curious.

SECO News: Yep. Very good. Anything you want to add, Steve?

Keefer: Not that I can think of. Thank you for taking the time not just for the interview, but also for what you do in helping with the science fair.

Keefer: You're welcome. I enjoy it.

SECO News: Very good. For Otero College and the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair with Steve Keefer, I'm Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News.

Related Content:

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2023 Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair - Warren McClure Interview

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