An evening under the stars at the STEM after dark and telescope event proved to be a thrill for many wanting to see the stars and sky through a state of the art $2,000 telescope.
Guests who attended the event were able to walk away with new knowledge about stars and planets that they saw.
Chair of the Physical Science department and astronomer Dale Fields shared that the motive of this event was to enlighten people about our galaxy.
“We really just want to get people to know that things happen around us all the time,” Fields said. “Many people look up in the night sky and think what’s over in the west is a bright star and not realize that it’s actually the planet Venus. Let’s let people know what’s going on out there. That’s the real purpose of doing these kinds of events.”
Fields also expressed that the quantity of people showing up to the event has been higher than the pre-pandemic numbers.
“It makes me so happy to see so many people out here, and the incredible amount of energy,” Fields said. “I get off on the fact that people have the same love and passion for what I believe in.”
Fields explained what inspired them to pursue a career in astrology, as the science field was something they were always interested in since adolescence.
“From a young age I knew that I wanted to do science, but wasn’t sure what science,” Fields said. “As a kid, at one point I wanted to be a dinosaur expert, but for me the big thing was my dad who got me into reading science fiction books. When I read these books, I soon realized that the truth was cooler than fiction, and that is what pulled me towards the astronomy side of science,” Fields said.
Member of the LA Astronomical Society and special guest at the event Phillip Taylor previously worked at Aerospace for 45 years.
Taylor mentioned his family history with astronomy and explained the inspiration behind his decision to go into the astronomy field.
“My family has been into astronomy for about 300 years,” Taylor said. “So I was born into it. As soon as I was aware of what was going on, I would attend planetarium lectures at the Griffith observatory.”
Taylor said the more you know about astronomy, the more you can appreciate it.
“It takes a lot of knowledge, and the interest that you build grows on you over time. It still grows on me after 67 years,” Taylor said. “I feel like I just barely scratched the surface and won’t live long enough to learn more. There’s only so much you can learn as you’re only around for so long.”
The night also included biology activities.
Professor of biology Shannon DeVaney was present for the STEM event.
“I love nature. I love just the way that life works. I find it endlessly fascinating,” DeVaney said “Right now I have a bat detector here so we can look for bats and some of the other animals that are here on campus as it gets dark.”
In addition, DeVaney explained why she enjoys the teaching side of her profession, as opposed to just the biology part of what she does.
“I really love teaching, and teaching at Pierce in particular,” DeVaney said. “It’s just inspiring everyday because I think the students at Pierce are the most amazing. I have taught at other institutions and the students at Pierce are my favorite students of anywhere.”
DeVaney then added why she believes teaching at Pierce college is a special experience.
“It’s just amazing to see so many bright people who are really driven and want to make the world a better place,” DeVaney said.
DeVaney then went into detail about the importance of figures that inspired her to progress toward reaching her goals.
“I personally feel that I was lucky to have had a lot of great teachers along the way from elementary school and up through college,” DeVaney said. “I was lucky to have that, and now that’s something I want to pass on to others, and help the next generation to feel encouraged and empowered to pursue what really fascinates them.”