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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Sonrise students shine in science competition
By Jim Cornelius

Front (left-right): Student winners Zack Cummings, Trevor Jutte and Jared Schneider. Back: Teacher Gwen Philipsen, advisor Jeff Taylor and Toshiba representative Ron Partch. Photo by Jim Cornelius

Imagine having studded tires that work when you need them and retract when roads are dry. You'd save on wear-and-tear to your tires and damage to Oregon highways could be greatly reduced.

That's exactly what three third graders at Sonrise Christian School thought when they developed a concept called STOP (Studded Tires -- Optimal Protection) for a national science competition.

The concept stood out among the 4,600 entries in the national ExploraVision competition sponsored by the Toshiba Corporation and the National Science Teachers Association.

The team of Jared Schneider, Trevor Jutte and Zack Cummings was one of 24 regional winners in the competition. Toshiba representative Ron Partch presented the students with plaques and prizes for their efforts at an assembly at Sonrise Christian School on Friday, March 14.

The students won for their school a Toshiba laptop computer and a Toshiba digital camera, which will assist them in the next phase of competition. In the finals, the students must design a prototype of their invention and design a website that explains it.

"They're studs that pop out when you need them," Trevor Jutte said.

He explained that vehicles would be equipped with sensors to detect icy road conditions. The sensors would trigger an electronic device to deploy the studs. Or, if the driver felt unsafe, he or she could push a button to deploy the studs.

The technology may not exist for such a device, but the ExploraVision projects have a 20-year horizon, so the invention may not be that far-fetched at all.

Zack Cummings noted that his team "had a lot of ideas and we wrote them all down on the white board and picked the best one."

Jeff Taylor of Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center served as an advisor to the students. Gwen Philipsen is the children's science teacher.

The national judging carries some significant stakes. The final eight teams will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in a science fair and each student stands to win savings bonds worth from $5,000 to $10,000 to be used for further education.

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