The Fifth Element Science Fair was held on Thursday by the “Managing Project Teams” classes. The students were required to perform several science experiments and manage the events.

“This was definitely the most stressful project I’ve ever had in class, but in a good way,” said Abbie Fontanilla, a “Managing Project Teams” classes student. “It has made me want to be a project management major.”

The three class sections held their science fairs at different times throughout the day. Classes held their science fairs at Sylvester’s Café, Chico Children’s Park and the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house.

Students created costumes, decorated elaborate poster boards and engaged with guests to give them the best overall science fair experience.

“We had two weeks to organize everything and get ready to compete against the other classes to see who does the best,” Zane Schallberger, a project student, said.

The Chico Fire Department was on scene with six firefighters to ensure the safety of the experimenters and bystanders, as many of the experiments involved fire.

The “Rainbow Flame” project provided a small-scale model for how fireworks are made, while a “Fire Tornado” booth explained how fires can turn into tornados with the right conditions using limited materials.

“Through this project I’ve gotten to actually experience what project management is all about and what the job entitles,” Fontanilla said. “This event has taught me a lot.”

Courtney Weaver can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.