Stewardship Spotlight: Science Ambassadors’ First Egg Drop Competition
Sequoyah’s newest stewardship has hit the ground running. Co-chaired by Emily Hodges ’24 and Iliana Muller ’24 and facilitated by Physics teacher Kevin Delin, the Science Ambassadors were born in the hopes of creating a diverse, inclusive, and exciting community bonded over a shared love for science. And, speaking of hitting the ground, Science Ambassadors’ first all-school event was an egg drop open to any interested students and largely attended by those who hadn’t already left for Thanksgiving break.
Rachel Youngstrom ’26 crafted an egg drop entry that was a smash hit–literally. “Ever since Conceptual Physics last year,” she recalled, “I really wanted to drop a watermelon off this balcony, and the egg drop seemed like the perfect place to fulfill my dreams.” And it was; Youngstrom’s watermelon contraption protected her egg from breaking and was widely enjoyed by the crowd below. Youngstrom also praised Science Ambassadors for launching the competition, an opinion seconded by June Baehler ’27, another egg drop contestant.
“I'm very excited to be in the egg drop next year,” says Baehler. “I think we’ll put a lot more effort into it and actually prove ourselves instead of just coming up with something three minutes before the drop happened. The Science Ambassadors are really creative and they did a really good job.” Baehler entered the egg drop with fellow freshmen Hart LippSmith and Luca DiMassa; the trio created a contraption of gloves, whipped cream, and cranberry sauce from a class potluck, and balloons. Though their egg ultimately broke, Baehler suggested that a more effective gadget could be created in the future if given more time. In any case, the crowd loved it. Also well-received was the device crafted by egg drop winner Veronica Black ’27, who included a very useful plastic bag parachute in her design.
Supervising the event, Science Ambassadors co-chair Emily Hodges ’24 had an important message about her stewardship’s mission: “Science Ambassadors is for people who are not generally interested in science, who don't necessarily think of themselves as scientists… to belong in these spaces.” Though initially planning to hold a schoolwide science fair, she explained Science Ambassadors settled on the egg drop because it aligns closely with that mission: there are few barriers to keep students from participating—and it’s fun. As for other projects, Hodges discussed a lineup of edible science experiments she hopes to bring to K-8 students as well as a subcommittee in charge of publishing science-related news articles with The Barefoot Times. (Keep an eye out for updates on the website!) Hodges expressed satisfaction with how the egg drop went, noting that both the participants and the audience enjoyed it; however, she suggested her stewardship may give more notice about the event ahead of time, in order to give contestants more time to prepare.
Hodges is hoping for the egg drop to become an annual Science Ambassadors tradition. As contestants dropped shoeboxes and melons, rubber gloves, and duct tape from the balcony to the delight of the array of laughing faces below, it was clear Sequoyah would be behind her wish. After all, the widespread support for Science Ambassadors shows two things: one, Sequoyans are always willing to get behind new ideas; and two, they love to drop stuff from 20 feet up.