Arts & Features

3, 2, 1, blast off: Space science day takes off at El Camino College, honors astronaut’s legacy

By Joseph Ramirez • March 21, 2024

Mona Hassan, 19, teaches attendees how to make slime at the Onizuka Space Science Day on March 16, 2024 outside the Life Science Building. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union)

Extracting DNA from strawberries, building a lightsaber, making slime and battling robots were some of several STEM activities led by El Camino College students on Saturday, March 16 during the 36th Annual Onizuka Space Science Day.

The event honors Ellison Onizuka, one of the seven astronauts who were killed on Jan. 28, 1986 in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

It is hosted every year at El Camino College by the Ellison Onizuka Memorial Committee in collaboration with El Camino College and Honda.

Onizuka, who died in the explosion, was the first Asian American to travel to space. The memorial committee was formed after his death to honor his legacy and host an event where children could learn about science and technology, as Onizuka had envisioned.

One of the attendees, Ian Gerszewski, listened to retired astronaut Rick Mastracchio talk about his career and what it takes to become an astronaut.

Attendees at the Onizuka Space Science Day try out science experiments inside a classroom in the Chemistry Building at El Camino College on Saturday, March 16. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union)

El Camino students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math taught parents and children about chemistry, engineering, insect study and astronomy before ending the day with an egg-dropping contest.

Nine hundred people attended the event, according to contact center coordinator Breeanna Bond.

For Bond, this year’s Onizuka Space Science Day was a success.

“I reached out to the community and many schools and the result was 900 people came to this event and 600 of them were children,” Bond said.

Parents participated and learned alongside their children, including Gerszewski and his son, D.J.

“My son and I had so much fun with the hands-on science experiments here including the strawberry DNA extraction, rocket building and handling insects,” Gerszewski said.

Chemical engineering student Jordan Kupner, 18, spent the afternoon teaching children how to create and launch rocket ships using Alka-Seltzer.

Jordan Kupner, 18, teaches children how to make bottle rockets with Alka-Seltzer in front of the Life Science Building at El Camino College on Saturday, March 16. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union) — Jordan Kupner, 18, teaches children how to make bottle rocket ships with Alka-Seltzer in front of the Life Science Building at El Camino College on Saturday, March 16. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union)

“This is my first time getting to participate in this science day and I am having lots of fun teaching the kids,” Kupner said.

The final activity of the day was an egg-dropping contest. Children attached makeshift parachutes and wings to boiled eggs to prevent them from breaking when they hit the ground.

Part-time biology professor Sanda Oswald drops an egg with a parachute from the Natural Sciences Building as part of the egg-dropping contest at the Onizuka Space Science Day on Saturday, March 16. Participants had to create paper parachutes to help the eggs land softly and not break when they hit the ground. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union) — Part-time biology professor Sanda Oswald drops an egg with a parachute from the Natural Science Building as part of the egg-dropping contest at the Onizuka Space Science Day on Saturday, March 16. Participants had to create paper parachutes to help the eggs land softly when they hit the ground. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union)

“My daughter really enjoyed the egg-dropping contest and my favorite part was the robotics,” Jose Mendoza, one of the parents who attended the event, said.

Athletic, Health Science, Creative Art, and MANA Counselor Kelsey Iino helped organize the event along with Bond.

From left, Katie Swenson, Kelsey Iino and Breeanna Bond pose under a tent at the Student Services Plaza on Saturday, March 16. Swenson, Iino and Bond helped organize this year's Onizuka Space Science Day. (Joseph Ramirez | The Union)

Bond and Iino were former students at El Camino College before returning as staff years later.

“I have been working with the [Onizuka] memorial committee for 12 years now and I really enjoy both space and science,” Iino said. “I hope one day we will be able to visit and live on other planets and even get to meet aliens in this big universe.”