Baltimore area students experience STEM activities at Towson women's basketball game
BALTIMORE -- More than 3,000 students from across the Baltimore area explored the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) while also taking in a women's basketball game at Towson University on Wednesday.
Students experienced firsthand how to conduct electricity using Play-Doh and work with Ozobots and Spheros.
"STEM is really how we solve everyday problems, so exposing them to all the different avenues of STEM really important," said Sarah Mamaril. Towson STEM UTeach Science Master.
The goal was to ignite excitement and interest in the sciences as the Towson women played the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
"We think of STEM as like this very unapproachable thing," Towson STEM student Audrey Gianelle said. "We think, 'Oh, it's so hard, like you have to be a genius, you have to be a special type of person to want to do science or math,' but no, sometimes STEM is like playing with robots. Sometimes, it's building race tracks, and sometimes it's teaching kids. It can be so many different things."
While not every STEM student is a basketball fan, maybe minds were changed after watching Wednesday's game.
"I don't want to be the stereotype but I am a little bit of a math nerd so I'm not big on sports," Gianelle said.
Towson women lost its home game to UMBC, 65-60.
Towson coach Laura Harper hoped the students enjoyed the STEM activities and the basketball game.
jumped out to an early lead…this one would come down to the wire with UMBC holding on to defeat Towson 65-60.
"Seems like the kids just had a great time and they didn't care about whether we were winning or losing, they were just happy to be there cheering for Towson," Harper said.
The number of students in attendance for the game and STEM event was 3,590 which was the largest crowd ever for a Towson women's basketball game.
It was also the first time UMBC defeated Towson since 2010. Towson has started the season with a 1-7 record.
