A mishmash of family fun and news

Science Symposium for Girls features Miss America 2014

Sacred Hearts Academy is hosting Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri as keynote speaker at its annual Science Symposium for Girls on Feb. 28.

The symposium, in its 21st year, will once again feature interactive workshops in an array of science- and technology-related fields for girls in grades five through eight.

A University of Michigan graduate with a bachelor’s degree in brain behavior and cognitive science, Davuluri is a passionate advocate for STEM education.

"We are excited to have Ms. Davuluri as a keynote speaker," said Betty White, Sacred Hearts’ head of school. "We were looking for someone supportive of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) model. With that under her belt, being Miss America really brings it to light."

Davuluri, 25, said, "The Miss America organization has been promoting STEM for the past three years. This has been a really great avenue to partner with various tech companies and really encouraging young women, especially, because we tend to lose our girls from the elementary school level."

The key, she said, is to get girls to think outside the box. There are, for instance, many STEM-related applications people might not think about — in a cosmetics chemistry lab, for instance, Davuluri said, recalling how she created her own lip gloss.

"You can be creators, thinkers and innovators," she said.

Davuluri will also be offering a parents session, which includes advice on how to give daughters encouragement in the STEM fields.

Davuluri began competing in pageants to earn scholarships for college. Last year she became the first Indian-American Miss America.

While women have earned 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees and about half of all science and engineering bachelor’s degrees since the late 1990s, there continues to be a disparity in science and technology professions, according to the National Science Foundation. And there are even fewer women in the fields of engineering, computer science and the physical sciences.

"These types of jobs can bring financial security to girls when they enter the workforce," White said. "The demand for STEM fields is three times the rate of other jobs."

The interactive workshops, presented by local professionals, many of them volunteers, will cover everything from creating a mobile robot to exploring the Arctic, navigating the skies like a pilot and ice cream chemistry.

The symposium draws more than 400 girls and 200 parents each year.

Nina Wu, Star-Advertiser

Sydney the curious lamb cooperates in ‘sheep’ story

In the 10th installment of Oliver Chin’s series, “The Year of the Sheep: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac” (Immedium, $15.95), Sydney, a curious lamb, displays the qualities of kindness and cooperation, traits representative of folks born in the Year of the Sheep. 

Zhi, the shepherd’s daughter, is always coming to Sydney’s rescue when Sydney veers from the herd in search of adventure.  

When a storm strikes, Sydney works together with the other animals, expressing her sheep qualities, causing those around her to view her adventurous spirit in a more positive light. 

The book showcases all of the animals in the Chinese zodiac: sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake and horse. Vivid watercolor illustrations by Alina Chau feature big-eyed characters that bring the delightful tale to life. 

The book is available at Dragon Gate Bookstore (533-7147) at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, 100 N. Beretania St.; and at the Japa­nese Cultural Center of Hawaii gift shop (945-7633 ext. 43), 2454 S. Bere­ta­nia St.

Nancy Arcayna, Star-Advertiser