“OK, now that is awesome!” exclaimed Boy Scout Tyler Hilliard, watching a nearby gummy bear explode.

Hilliard was one of eight local Boy Scouts invited to the college’s campus by Dickinson College’s Chemistry Club on Saturday, March 23, to help earn their chemistry merit badge.

“In order to get our chemistry merit badge, we need to learn about laboratory safety rules, and [professor] Connor has taught us a lot about that,” explained Boy Scout Phillip Sanchez after a safety lesson with Dickinson College’s Assistant Professor Rebecca Connor.

“Our overall goal for the scouts is for them to learn what interests them in chemistry,” said Jason Weibel, merit badge counselor.

The boys came to Rector on Saturday to watch five Chemistry Club members and Connor perform chemistry demonstrations. The demonstrations included Cartesian divers, oxidation of a gummy bear, an electric pickle and water flowing against gravity.

“The demonstrations are comprised of experiments that allow us to teach them basic principles of chemistry – acid/base reactions, density, chemical reactions, and properties of matter,” said Aaron Cook ’15, an Eagle Scout and chemistry club member.

“We knew we had the space… for the scouts to fulfill their merit badge credit,” explained Connor. “We also wanted to introduce to the scouts to what we have at Dickinson.”

Members of the Chemistry Club enjoyed having the chance to help teach the Boy Scouts.

“I remain active in my [Boy Scout] troop and jumped on this opportunity to share my love of chemistry with the local troop and help them fulfill a few merit badge requirements,” said club member Alex Kasznel ’15.

“Visual demonstrations of what kids learn in the classroom are a great way to help them conceptualize the information and think scientifically,” added Chemistry Club member Andrew Tolbert ’14.

“This event will allow me to share something that I really love with other people in addition to my fellow science majors. Plus, I think the event will be a really fun way to get involved in the department!” said Olivia Harper Wilkins ‘15, chemistry club member, before the event.

Other events that the Chemistry Club is planning include a picnic in April and a barbeque at the end of the year. Students may contact Assistant Professor Rebecca Connor at [email protected] for more information about the Chemistry Club.