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Jefferson High Chemistry Lab Scares Up Halloween Lesson

MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER / The Tampa Tribune

Students watch as chemistry teachers Alina Mills and Heather Costa with intern Amber Tumblesom perform their story during Chemoween, the annual Halloween celebration in chemistry lab at Jefferson High School.

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 31, 2007

Chemoween Photo Gallery | Video: Chemistry In Action

TAMPA - Victor Frankenstein's castle has nothing on the chemistry lab at Jefferson High School on Halloween. Icky cobwebs hang from the ceiling in the darkened room, dry-ice fog cascades over the rims of beakers, and a large, foreboding image of a haunted house appears on the wall, thanks to an overhead projector.

There are sewage eating, raisin-size mealybugs, disappearing water, hydrogen peroxide fountains, exploding soap bubbles and electrified pickle juice.

Frauen Alina Mills and Heather Costa rule here, with intern Amber Tumblesom (Igor?) helping. It's Chemoween, the annual Halloween celebration in chemistry lab. The teachers spin a ghostly tale and use some interesting chemistry experiments to illustrate the incredible story.

It's a five-year tradition, and it appears to be hugely popular among the chemistry students. By the end of the day, nearly 400 of them, sophomores, juniors and seniors, will have sat through the ghost story, occasionally screaming, clapping and gasping.

Halloween falls halfway through the semester, and the chemistry teachers thought it would be a welcome — and educational — diversion for their students to have some chemical fun.

"The kids work hard," Mills said during a break. "This is a chance for them to get excited about chemistry again."

Each demonstration deftly uses concepts classes have previously covered or will cover by the end of the term, she said. In spite of the daunting subject matter, she said, "We have a lot of fun."

Costa said she never had this sort of instruction when she was taking chemistry in high school, even though her science teachers were exceptional, "and that's why I do what I do now."

Costa is the main story teller, relaying a Halloween tale that keeps the audience enthralled with humor, horror and, gulp, education.

The teachers use liquid nitrogen to freeze a banana and use the fruit to pound a nail into a piece of wood. As the students watch, she explains the chemical changes undergone by the banana when dipped into the freezing liquid. Pounding the nail into the wood with the banana draws wild applause.

The instructors touched a match to a clump of soap bubbles filed with methane gas, causing a flash flame that disappeared in a midair whoosh, to the excitement of the audience. Producing light from electric current passing through pickle juice also caused a rise in the crowd.

Then there was a little trick with carbonated water and raisins, which, Mills said, will remain a secret.

Emily Hickey, a 17-year-old senior in an honors chemistry class, missed the presentation last year and couldn't wait for this year's Chemoween.

"I love chemistry," she said, and the lab on Wednesday "was awesome. It totally made my day."

One demonstration sparked her interest in mealybugs.

"I'm going to go home and look mealybugs up," she said. "I'm curious about them now."

There were seven presentations throughout the day, Mills said. Each class sat behind a yellow crime-scene tape, and those in front wore safety goggles — in case the banana shattered or the electrified pickle juice exploded.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or at kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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