The experiment was repeated five times. The results were the same each time. The kudzu project won Kari a first place in the Iredell-Statesville Schools Science Fair, first in a regional competition and qualified her for the state competition. In addition, Kari entered her project in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Raleigh and was one of nine students asked to make a presentation. Calif. Kari s kudzu experiment won t end with her trip to San Diego.
Additional research is already underway.
Martin Johnson, a chemistry teacher at the school, has also been involved with the study and hopes to pinpoint exactly what causes the calming effect. He says it could be anything from a sedative to a food additive to an extract. We will explore lots of different kinds of possibilities. Kari s success has helped rekindle interest in science at North. Kari has learned more from this project than from all the stuff we ve had her memorize.