The annual You Be the Chemist Challenge will be held on Feb. 21 at the University Center. Originally scheduled for Jan. 31, the event was moved to a later date due to hazardous icy weather and dangerous traveling conditions. The You Be the Chemist Challenge is sponsored by the university’s Department of Chemistry and Physics, the Tangipahoa Parish School System and the Denham Springs-based chemical manufacturer Bercen, Inc. The event was established in 1989 by the National Association of Chemical Distributors. Under the You Be the Chemist section at chemed.org, the challenge claims its mission is to “[engage] grade five through eight students in learning about important chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries and laboratory safety.” The event coordinator for the challenge is associate professor Dr. David Norwood, who works in the Department of Chemistry and Physics. He is among several faculty members and Southeastern students who have signed on to participate in the challenge this year by giving scientific demonstrations to the visiting middle schoolers. “We have about a half-dozen faculty members and about a dozen students participating [in the event],” said Norwood. Exactly 18 middle schools will be attending the event this year. About 300 middle school students from grades five through eight travel to the university every year to test their chemistry and physics know-how, learn more about the subjects and participate in chemistry and physics demonstrations. The demonstrations will cover a wide variety of scientific concepts. “[The demonstration topics will include] chemical reactions, the definition of inertia, to be covered by Dr. R. Elaine, an infrared camera and polymerization, which is where they take liquid materials and solidify them by making the molecules longer,” said Norwood. After the students are tested in a classroom setting, there will be a quiz bowl-like competition. The winner will move on to the state tournament, which will be hosted at LSU later in the spring semester. Those who succeed in the state challenge advance to the National You Be the Chemist Challenge to be held in Philadelphia this June. Norwood explained the challenge’s ultimate goal: “We want to get kids excited about science, introduce them to scientific careers through the demonstrations, and show them what’s possible. The college and graduate students pursuing science show them that a scientific career is doable.” For more information on the You Be the Chemist Challenge, contact the Department of Chemistry and Physics or the Tangipahoa School System STEM coordinator, at cecilialanier@tangischools.org or phone at 985-310-2189.