Experiment with Bellevue College physics club

The physics club is one of the clubs offered by BC’s Students Programs to promote the overall awareness, understanding and enthusiasm for physics. The club has started its regular meetings since the beginning of the quarter. The club meets twice a week, every Monday and Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in B144. It works more on physical projects on Mondays, while it gives more time for study groups and project planning on Thursdays.
The club’s initial goal is promoting interest in physics among BC students. To reach its goal, it offers study groups, discussion sessions, experiments in the lab and networking with more students.
There are eight to 10 regular members in the club, double the number from last quarter. Students who are not yet members of the club are always welcomed to attend the meetings.
Thomas Butler, the club’s president, says: “We want to help promote interest in physics and physical science fields and try to invoke awareness of
what a physics degree can do for you in [a] long term career. We try to offer demos that people can learn from and projects that people can work on so that as a group, we can understand modern mechanism[s]. We generally want to give everyone a positive idea that physics is not to be feared, but rather an area to enjoy and learn from.” Some of the club’s members are President Thomas Butler, Vicep President Andrew Spencer, Secretary Jessica Zistatsis and Treasurer/ Webmaster Megan Henry. Robert Hobbs, who is a faculty member in the Science Division at BC, serves as the club’s adviser to guide the club towards achieving its goals. Professor Hobbs is currently a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers and Pacific Northwest Association of College Physics as well as the representative of the Washington Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
Emmett Scnscnbach, one of the club’s members, says, “I like the physics club. It is a lot of fun. I like building the vacuum cannon. It is a great demonstration for just anything physics.”
The club is currently working on a number of projects, including modifications to the renowned vacuum cannon. Additionally, WALTA, a subunit of the physics club, is working on efficiency testing and installation of cosmic ray detectors, as part of a research project in collaboration with the University of Washington. The club will also participate in Wood Ridge Science Fair on Friday, April 25 to show some demos for elementary students.