Dominique Duncan didn't have to look far to find inspiration for her Douglas County Science Fair project.
About the same time the Free State High School sophomore was trying to decide on a topic, her father, Tyrone, began suffering from a series of attacks that would shut off his breathing for minutes at a time.
Andrea Phillips, second from right, a Lecompton fourth-grader gets instructions from John Ames, right, as Phillips and her classmate Kayla Foley set up their science fair projects. The girls joined other students Wednesday at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds to participate in the 2001 Douglas County Science Fair. The fair will open for the public today and Friday.
Doctors at Kansas University Medical Center were mystified by the source of her father's problems. So Dominique decided to take a crack at it.
"It motivated me for what to do for this year's science fair," she said. "I wanted to see if I could use math to help my dad."
Her project, "Mathematics and Breathing," is one of nearly 500 science exhibits created by area students on display at the 50th annual science fair. Judging began Wednesday night and continues this morning. The displays will be open to the public today and Friday.
"We provide an opportunity for kids to do a science experiment and present it here," said Dave Nordlund, the fair's director. "You will find all ranges of projects here, some that are relatively simple and others that are quite sophisticated."
Students from kindergarten through high school seniors participate and are judged in their own age groups. Nordlund said all students receive mentoring younger ones usually from parents, older ones often from university professors and other science experts.
"They (students) seem to be able to get information they need," Nordlund said. "It's been my observation that, much of the time, it's a big hassle for the family. Yet the parents come in and thank us for the privilege."
For many students, it's a requirement. Some area science teachers dock their students a letter grade if they don't participate.
"Mostly, I did it for the grade," said Dan Rudman, a home-schooled ninth-grader who entered his physics project on the effects of different chemicals on water density. "Some of the stuff was hard work, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
Today
Judging, 8 a.m. to noon.
Public viewing, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday
Public viewing, noon to 10 p.m.
Awards presentation, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday
Exhibits open for pickup from 9 a.m. to noon.
All events are in Building 21 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper Streets.
Dominique Duncan is a little more enthusiastic. She's been entering the fair for 10 years and won a few blue ribbons along the way. The daughter of two Kansas University math professors, she has taken 12 university math classes since sixth grade.
For the fair, she tried to develop a mathematical model to tell her dad how he should try to breathe quick panting or deep breaths when the attacks came on.
"I was trying to do this because I didn't know what to tell him when he has those episodes," she said. "He didn't know what to do either."
Ultimately, Dominique discovered there were too many factors in the breathing process for her mathematical model to help give instructions. Next, she said, she wants to investigate how the attacks are triggered.
"It's magic," said her mother, Bozenna Pasik-Duncan. "She never wants to stop the science fair."
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