Dear Editor:

I write this letter because I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and excitement generated when nine members of the UTM SAACS chapter helped Webelos and Cub Scouts with Science Day activities last Saturday.

SAACS members and more than 25 scouts and parents all had a very enjoyable pedagogic experience.

This is not the first time that UTM SAACS excelled in their community service and professional growth activities.

In the Fall, chapter members put in 400 man-hours to execute with finesse the 23rd annual High School Science Bowl.

During the Soybean Festival in Martin, the chapter carried out several activities including speakers, demonstrations and displays promoting soybeans as renewal resource in conjunction with their green chemistry projects.

During the National Chemistry Week in late October they presented demonstrations at the primary and high schools and for the Kentucky Lake Section of the American Chemical Society.

Also as part of the NCW theme “Chemistry helps us keep clean” the SAACS members collected and donated to We Care Ministries 320 lbs of soap, detergents and other cleaning supplies.

For service to the campus community, they participated in the Senior Day activities and helped with an College of Engineering and Natural Science program of CENSational Demonstrations for junior high students

In the coming days, SAACS will be sponsoring a Chemistry Merit Badge Clinic for more than 40 Boy Scouts on March 1.

From March 21 through March 25, ten SAACS will be travelling to New Orleans to participate in the 225th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society where besides making four professional presentations of research and demonstrations, they will participate in various programs and workshops.

On April 12, the chapter will co-host with Murray State University SAACS the 26th annual Area Collegiate Chemistry Meeting where students from more than ten colleges will present research papers.

This year’s SAACS have done exceptionally well under the leaderships of 2002 president Micheal W. Fultz and 2003 president Rebekah Kirkpatrick.

I would also like to commend several other SAACS who helped Fultz and Kirkpatrick with service, outreach and professional growth extracurricular activities: Katie Allen, Jennifer Beckman, Andy Bernard, Emily Bethart, Erich Bitzer, Dan Comer, Elizabeth Hinds, Laura Hunt, Selena Parnell, Minesh Patel, Emili Reeves, John Rippy, Chris Schmitt, Ali Smith, Kala Smith, Ashley Tharpe and Eliza Whitten.

SAACS also enjoys excellent cooperation from UTM faculty, staff and administration.

S. K. Airee, Professor Adviser, UTM SAACS