During her junior year science class, senior Aleeza Khan discovered the Science Independent Research Study class (SIRS) through a friend and applied to take it as her eighth course. After being accepted, Khan worked hard to design and create a self guided experiment with her mentor, Science Teacher Jessica Pritzker, about how plants grow in different conditions, and how it affects future offspring, Khan explained. Now, Khan is in the process of creating her research paper and poster in preparation for several upcoming competitions.

 Any students that meet the requirement of having at least one science credit at South can join SIRS, Science Teacher Despina Mandarino said. There are a total of 10 students currently in SIRS, occurring during the students’ free periods, lunches, and SRTs, and each is given a mentor to help them create their own experiment, Mandarino said. SIRS is primarily student-led, with teachers providing support as each student meets one-on-one with their mentor, Mandarino added.

“It’s really fun to work with kids that are really curious and are excited about learning about a certain topic,” Mandarino said.

In spring, after all the students have finished their experiments, students create posters or research papers paired with a presentation, sophomore Natalie Choi, SIRS student, said. Students’ work is presented at several competitions, starting with the regional tournament at Stevenson High School on March 4, Choi said. Then, if they qualify, they compete at a state tournament in May, representing themselves as well as the school, Choi added.

Choi’s favorite part of the class is the freedom to explore topics that interest her, Choi said. 

“We had a lot of freedom in choosing the topic that we want to explore,” Choi said. “It’s a great opportunity for people who are curious about different topics.” 

At the start of the school year, Khan experimented on Brassica apa plants, commonly known as field mustard, testing how their growth changes based on what conditions they are exposed to, Khan said. Khan chose to study plants out of self-interest, and students can pick any science-related topic, whether or not it relates to the science class they are currently taking, Khan explained. 

“Research is something that I’m interested in pursuing in college next year, so it’s been a great intro to doing my own research,” Khan said. “I’ve really enjoyed working with the plants.”

Senior Zenia Babool, SIRS student, focused her project on stress and how it affects the skin. She tested a random group of 14 South students, calculating a rating for their stress level, Babool said. Then, she gave them blotting sheets to track their oil production, and observed how their skin changed, analyzing graphs and collecting data, Babool said.

“The entire idea of experimenting is really cool, because you get to control exactly what you want to do,” Babool said. “I’ve learned so much from the study, and it’s a great experience if you have a passion for science, learning, and experimenting.”