On a warm Thursday evening on Feb. 26, Cal State Fullerton’s STEM community scrambled together at McCarthy Hall for an egg drop competition hosted by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Club.
Even though the flyer said “competition,” it meant more to CBC president Michelle Le, a fourth-year biochemistry major, for students to enjoy the presence of the other clubs and connect as STEM students.
“We wanted to do some kind of interactive (activity) where all of us can do something competitive together. Overall, I honestly think today went really, really well, like I see all the clubs here, it’s really great getting to know all the members,” Le said.
The CBC prioritizes having events not only for their organization but to be able to collaborate with other clubs.
On the second-floor terrace, tables were filled with plates of pizza, popsicle sticks, straws, cups and tape as groups raced against the 15-minute time limit to finish their protective design and win a golden egg.
“Our strategy is going to be pizza. That’s our secret ingredient. Don’t let nobody else here (know), but we’re stuffing pizza crust in the cups, and hopefully that will absorb the shock and the impact of dropping it off the thing (ledge),” said Liam Ryals, a fifth-year chemistry major and member of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.
The event ended with the NOBCCHE winning among the five other groups for their straw-and-pizza-crust design in the cup.
On the floor of the McCarthy building, as each egg was dropped from the ledge by the students, bystanders were intrigued to see the makeshift designs getting dropped off the ledge.
At the beginning of the event, Le gave a speech welcoming the six participating clubs, then opened the floor to a discussion on whether anyone wanted to present an African American STEM role model in the field that inspired them.
“Providing that space, we’re all here for each other, we’re all here to support one another, and really give that space to really celebrate Black History Month,” Le said.
Yamir Ortuno, a third-year vice president of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, chose to discuss Katherine Johnson, her work at NASA and the field of mathematics.
The Chemistry and Biochemistry Club welcomes anyone with open arms to come to an event and join a STEM club of their choosing. Not only do they hold events, but they also host workshops and travel to company sites.
“It feels like we just kind of see each other in class, and there’s often times I do individual work or just a lecture, so we don’t really get to talk or learn a little bit more about each other. So having an extracurricular space where we can do that, I think it’s really important,” said Edrin Astillero, third-year biochemistry student.
For many students, events like these allow busy students to hang out with each other outside of classes to accommodate for demanding academic schedules.
Even though there are multiple STEM clubs, members look to expand further by encouraging students of all backgrounds to explore the opportunities they offer.
“I see all the clubs here, it’s really great getting to know all the members. Everybody was so supportive of each other while still trying to have that mission of, let’s try to win, but still really supportive of one another,” Le said. “I’m actually really proud of all the clubs that are present today and just participating in this event.”