Duane Hicks
J.W. Walker student Cameron Lidkea scored a K.O. at the Canada-Wide Science Fair last week in Charlottetown, P.E.I., winning the bronze medal “Award of Excellence” for Grade 7/8 students for his science project, “Striking Difference.”
The Grade 7 student was awarded a certificate, $300 in cash, and a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Western Ontario during the awards banquet on Thursday.
“I had no idea. It was a total shock to me,” Lidkea admitted when asked about how he felt when his named was called out.
He noted other participants had more judges talk to them, leading him to believe he wasn’t in the running.
“I thought, ‘Yeah, it was a good experience. There’s always next year,’” Lidkea remarked. “But when they called my name, it was exciting.
“It really shocked me.”
The purpose of Lidkea’s experiment was to compare the impact of punches in two combat sports: boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).
Eighteen participants wearing gloves designed for each sport punched a heavy bag with two high-impact accelerometer censors attached.
Lidkea concluded there was a 13 percent greater impact using the MMA gloves, suggesting a potentially higher risk for brain trauma and/or head injury in MMA.
Lidkea was joined by three other students from the region (Sunset Country), including fellow J.W. Walker students Carson Cole and Jesse Esselink, along with Jessica Gelderland of Red Lake.
The students were accompanied by delegates Dr. Bruce Lidkea, who not only is Cameron’s father but also is a science fair judge for Sunset Country, and local teacher chaperone Cynthia Donald.
“We were sort of stunned when [Cameron’s] name was called,” said Donald, who was filling in for J.W. Walker teacher Jody Bonner-Vickers, who normally goes to the national science fair.
“Shocked isn’t even the word,” echoed Dr. Lidkea. “We were obviously very, very proud, very, very happy, but nobody in our delegation was expecting a medal.
“Everybody was expecting to have a fantastic experience, a fantastic week, but it’s not normal for a first-year science fair finalist to medal,” he added.
“That doesn’t really happen.”
Normally students go to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, get feedback from the judges, then redo or expand their projects and return year after year, hoping for greater success.
That said, Lidkea said he already is thinking about what he could do to earn a trip to next year’s Canada-Wide Science Fair.
“It would be nice to make it back there again and place, so that goes towards another scholarship,” he reasoned.
“On the plane ride back, I was actually thinking of things I could expand on with this project,” added Lidkea.
“They gave me a sheet that told me things I did good and things I could work on in the future, so that helps.”
About 500 finalists attended the week-long event, where there’s $1 million in prize money up for grabs.
Dr. Lidkea said the Canada-Wide Science Fair “was an amazing experience” for all of the delegates.
“I thought it was so much fun. I’ll remember that week forever,” agreed his son.
“They treated those kids like they were rock stars for a week, and really I guess they are,” noted Dr. Lidkea.
“It was sponsored by RIM, the makers of Blackberry, and it was amazing—from the opening ceremony to the awards ceremony and the day of tours of the island and all the science-based activities that they had,” he added.
“It was a fantastic experience for Cam and me,” he remarked. “Cam has said this is the best trip he ever had.
“I hope Cam starts working on his next project. I want to go back,” chuckled Dr. Lidkea, noting May 22 was both Cameron’s and his birthday, and the experience was “the best early birthday present ever.”
Normally parents don’t go to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, but Dr. Lidkea was an exception as he also is a science fair judge.
As such, he spent a good deal of time gathering information which might be used for the regional science fair here.
“I talked with a lot of the organizers for regional fairs from all across the country and picked up a lot of helpful hints,” he said.
“A lot of them were very, very helpful and gave me resources to bring back to our committee and really do some great things here.”
“I made sure that when I was there, I worked,” Dr. Lidkea stressed. “When the kids were presenting the projects, we weren’t allowed to be in there.
“They put on workshops for the delegates to learn more about putting on science fairs, what are award-winning display boards, and even the workings of the general meetings for the Canada-Wide [Science Fair], which helps with knowing what they’re looking for out of the students,” he remarked.
“I am looking forward to getting to share that with everybody.”
“It was phenomenal,” Donald said of her experience at the Canada-Wide Science Fair.
She added she’s glad the Rainy River District School Board supports students going to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, noting a lot of people there had to do fundraising to be able to attend it, but not the local students and delegates who went.
Donald also noted Bonner-Vickers and Fort High teacher Keith Gilbert deserved credit for helping the local students prepare for the national competition.
“There’s a lot of people involved who helped those students get where they were,” she stressed.
“We really appreciate their help. It was a team effort.”
Lidkea also thanked Bonner-Vickers and Gilbert, as well as his teacher, Brad Hill.
