Noemi Orozco, Sports Editor
Throughout the month of October, most people often find themselves joyous for the many holidays ahead during the chilly season. From honoring the Native American people on Indigenous Peoples’ Day every 14th of October to prepare elaborate costumes for Halloween on the 31st, some who express their excitement for each and every event that is held in October may simply forget one that is highly celebrated throughout our campus on the 23rd each year: Mole Day.
For those who skipped engaging in a chemistry class with Mr. Dang or Mr. Spitteri, Mole Day is a popularized “holiday” in chemistry classes across the nation in which fellow chemists, chemistry students, and chemistry enthusiasts gather together to indulge in festivities that commemorate Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 10^23); the number of atoms or molecules in one whole mole.
Although it may sound horrifyingly confusing to most, the day itself only has one major focus: the students’ designs of their own stuffed mole animals- frankenstein creations such as NaMOLEon Dynamite and LiMOLE and Stitch.
Mole Day is also able to aim one’s viewpoint of their chemistry class toward a positive direction by requiring students to be more involved with the Avogadro constant while allowing them to have fun constructing their plushed animals to mimic their favorite celebrity, cartoon character, food, and much more.
Ms. Brown, a chemistry teacher at Rancho, expresses the importance of this event by explaining how though some may find chemistry challenging, Mole Day is able to put a halt on those difficulties for students. “Chemistry is a difficult class and it is a fun time to celebrate the unit of the moles without having to do a lot of homework or math work.”
As well as designing unique stuffed moles, the chemistry classes in Rancho Cucamonga High School involve themselves in a “friendly” competition in the MPR in which each class competes in activities from both the mental and physical realm.
The events include games such as solving problems with moles and the infamous T- charts, wrapping a colossal stuffed mole with tape, and many other unusual tasks. A junior in AP chemistry, Chase Otsuka, revealed his love for the competition involved with this day. “I like the competition of Mole Day and the fact that my class [Herchenroeder] won this year!”
Although not considered an official holiday just yet, Mole Day impacts numerous students at Rancho each year in October by embracing chemistry-based festivities in a fun and very interesting approach.
The Cat's Eye 