Middle schoolers follow Chester Greenwood’s footsteps
JAY – Chester Greenwood, the area’s most celebrated inventor, came up with his brilliant idea for earmuffs at the mere age of 15.
One hundred and thirty years or so later, Jay Middle School eighth-graders, just a year or two younger than Greenwood was, are developing some good ideas of their own.
Though most of them aren’t as practical as what Greenwood came up with, they are undoubtedly pretty doggone innovative.
On Wednesday and Thursday, they showed them off to their teachers, peers and parents during a dual invention and science fair at the school.
Milk pumper
Glow in the dark bubbles. A fold-up sled. An uncrackable revolving safe. An automatic milk pumper that siphons milk up out of a heavy carton and funnels it into a glass, making the traditional pick-up-and-pour method obsolete.
The only reaction better than a drawn out “cool” from classmates was a candid, “Hey, I could really use this.”
The original inventions of both Nikol Kostopoulos, 14, and Kim Frost, 14, each elicited a few of that most-flattering compliments.
V-Pants were Kostopoulos brainchild. Originally she was going to invent some type of snorkel-like contraption that would filter out second-hand smoke, but couldn’t figure how to do it.
Her mom was getting mad at her and her twin sister for walking all over the bottom of their pants, causing them to fray.
Adjustable Velcro pants
So Kostopoulos came up with the idea for adjustable Velcro pants that can be rolled up or down based on what shoes one wears.
“I am going to wear these pants to school tomorrow,” Kostopoulos said frankly.
And then, like the expert on some makeover show, she added girlishly, “The good thing is you wear heels with them. Dress them up or down.”
Her invention is one she is proud of. “I told my mom we should get a patent,” Kostopoulos said.
Meanwhile Frost’s invention is a student’s take on the professionals’ briefcase. Dubbed the Bookcase, it’s a fitted fabric book cover with handles and an extra pocket for pens and pencils.
New book cover
“Why carry around all those school books in your arms when you can get them with handles?” states Frost’s motto in large letters on her three-fold presentation board.
The idea, she revealed, came to her in a dream. She doesn’t plan to use Bookcase, because she has already promised them all to her friends.
The two eighth-grade friends said it was a lot of work just coming up with an idea. They had to do research papers, come up with catchy slogans, keep a scientific journal of the invention process, conduct market research to determine if anyone would buy their products and for how much and do formal presentations about their inventions to classmates.
It also made them appreciate the items they take for granted that someone once had to come up with.
“I thought pants just popped out of the air. Well, not really,” Kostopoulos joked. “But it’s hard to believe someone had to come up with the idea for them.”
The top five inventions, done by eighth-graders, and the top five science research projects, done by seventh-graders, will move on to the regional science fair, held at the University of Maine at Farmington, later this spring.
sdepoy@sunjournal.com
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