SCIENCE LESSON

HURRAY for Veronica Mouser, the middle school student who was told her
science fair project on medical marijuana would not be displayed (Page 1A,
Jan. 28). She has learned the hard way that ``people will try to control
what you say'' but says she is now ``even more determined to say what I have
to say.''

As a judge at the last two Intel International Science Fairs, I've seen a
number of high-school science projects that were research-oriented and could
not, by the nature of their scientific inquiry, be as ``hands-on'' as other
projects. Earth and space science projects, for example, tend to be more
observational than experimental.

Let the school officials at least be honest about their reasons for pulling
this science project in the first place: They are afraid of the politics
involved in a controversial subject.

Mark Wheeler

San Jose