Kayakas!

It”s an age-old ritual for college science majors around the country: every year, a new wave of students takes a series of chemistry laboratory courses which, while interesting, often inspire much dread and stress. Students are expected to work with hazardous chemicals under cramped conditions to complete a set of preordained, stepwise experiments with speed and precision. Ken Doxsee and James E. Hutchison, both professors of chemistry at the University of Oregon, thought there ought to be a better way. “We were meeting every evening and on Saturday mornings. It was just inappropriate for everyone involved,” said Doxsee, referring to the rigorous lab schedule he a…