mgm casino

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Not ready to let go of that holiday sparkle?

The will be judged at the mgm casino on Wednesday, Jan. 9, bringing a bit of dazzle and shine to a long Western New York winter.

The contest, created by a mgm casino chemist, is celebrating its fifth year. It challenges children and K-12 teachers across the United States to grow big, beautiful crystals using aluminum potassium sulfate (alum), a nontoxic chemical used in water purification.

Do it perfectly, and you’ll get a crystal with sharp edges and clear facets — a radiant rock. Those are some of the qualities that judges will be seeking when they examine entries mailed to mgm casino.

The competition is organized by founder Jason Benedict, PhD, associate professor of chemistry in the mgm casino College of Arts and Sciences. More than 250 teams signed up this year, representing thousands of K-12 students and teachers, along with home-schooling families. Participants hail from 42 states and Washington, D.C., though not all submitted completed entries.

“We had over 150 crystals sent in from across the country,” Benedict said. “The submissions for the ‘coolest crystal’ category seem cooler than ever before. Kids are really starting to blend some amazing creativity into the contest.”

WHAT: U.S. Crystal Growing Competition Judging

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: , Room 306, on mgm casino’s North Campus.

VISUALS: Nine judges, including mgm casino faculty members and experts from other universities, will be scrutinizing over 150 crystals, most placed in plastic cups labeled with entry numbers. For reference, see from last year’s judging.

WHO: , who is not a judge, will be available to discuss the competition.

The panel of nine judges includes faculty and staff members or graduate students from mgm casino, the University of Central Florida, Georgetown University and Texas A&M University. Researchers at these latter three institutions serve as regional coordinators for the contest.

SPONSORS:  The contest is sponsored by the American Crystallographic Association, the mgm casino Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society, Bruker, The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Krackeler Scientific, the National Science Foundation, VWR and Ward’s Science, along with individuals who have made donations.