On October 23rd, Glendale Community College’s STEM and MESA faculty held a STEM Hangout. Competition over marshmallow and spaghetti towers led to more hands-on activities while students networked and shared their passion for the field.

For this week’s hangout, students participated in an activity that involved building a tower with spaghetti and to balance a marshmallow on top. Three groups started with limited resources of one foot of tape, and one foot of string to build a tower that could hold the weight of a marshmallow. While this activity tested engineering thinking, physics, and balance, students made science collaborative and engaging. “It’s much harder than it looks, but working together keeps ideas fresh, making this more fun as we all try to create the tallest tower,” Theo Dawson, a biology major, said.  

STEM hangouts were inspired by Gevork Demirchyan and STEM faculty on campus. Demirchyan, a math instructor at GCC, said that it is all about creating opportunities for students where they can connect with peers, and more notably, create connections among faculty as they explore their majors in STEM. Attending community college is a great first step, but some students are still introductory to the full roles of specific STEM majors. “By organizing events like this, students get to build bonds with the faculty, allowing for there to be guidance on their majors on a more personal level,” Demirchyan said. 

GCC has received multiple grants across majors, although the STEM Faculty is looking to support students and expand opportunities for them. These include student scholarships, joining in on field trips, and attending presentations from professionals in the industry. Demirchyan mentions that in the past, they have previously hosted STEM lectures with workers in the industry to present on their research, giving students more exposure from real-world experience from working in jobs under STEM.

While most students who have attended are a part of STEM majors, Demirchyan stresses that the hangouts are open to everyone. “STEM can lead into many categories of science or engineering,” he said. “Even if you start in one area, you can explore other fields down the line.” Hosting activities like these, supports students seeing how the principles of Science and math connect. 

By combining fun activities with real-world learning, GCC is helping students take the first steps toward careers in STEM. As STEM hangouts continue throughout the semester, students can meet twice a month in the Buena Vista Science Center 101 from 12:30 – 1:30pm.