Members of Schreiber’s Science Olympiad team competed at the regional competition on Freb. 3. At the competition, which took place at Kellenberg Memorial High School, several students took advantage of this great opportunity to display their scientific talents.  Students prepared for this competition throughout the school year so far by choosing specific scientific areas of study and competing in those fields.

“Science Olympiad is a great club to explore STEM fields while having fun,” said junior  Kushal Upadhyay.

At most competitions, students generally participate in three or four events, where each participant either takes a written test or performs a scientific experiment, generally with a partner. During this year’s competition, there was a wide range of events to choose from. The various categories are then further divided into subsections, which allowed students to focus on their specific scientific interests.

Life science, personal science, and social science are the main topics in the first group.  The subsections are Anatomy and Physiology, Disease Detectives, Ecology, Herpetology and Microbe Mission.

“Though I am not actually on the event, I like disease detectives because it requires the most work,” said senior Julia Kim.

Next is the Earth and Space Science Category.  This section involves Chemistry Labs, Forensics, Hovercrafts, Material Science, Optics, and Thermodynamics.

Third is Technology and Engineering, a popular field of study due to its inclusion of thought-provoking scientific challenges. These activities test the competitors with helicopters, mission possible problems, mousetrap vehicles, and tower activities.

Finally, there is the Inquiry/Nature of Science section, a much more experimental field. This section includes Experimental Design, Fermi Questions, Game On, and Write-it-Do-it problems.  These various challenges prompt students to think outside the box and learn how to solve problems.

This year, Ms. Ezratty and Mr. Carmody ran the Science Olympiad program at Schreiber. At competitions, students have the chance to win first through eighth place, and are given awards for their hard work.

Overall scores for schools are counted by a point system, and the top schools go to states, and even possibly nationals.

At the Regional Competition, Schreiber medaled in 15 of the 24 events.  Seniors Julia Kim and Sherry Shi received first place in the Anatomy and Physiology event, and seniors Julia Ruskin and Emily Ma placed first in the Disease Detectives competition.  These students, along with many others, displayed their scientific prowess at the regional competition and earned Schreiber these 15 medals.

Unfortunately, Schreiber missed the opportunity to attend the state competition by just three points. However, students seem to be optimistic about next year’s competition and about the wonderful opportunity to be involved with subjects they love.

“I got involved with Science Olympiad all the way back in middle school because I was interested in science. I have stayed with it so long because I really love the competition and it’s great to see the long hours of studying, building, and practice pay off,” said junior Jacob Keller. “At the beginning of the school year in October you can attend one of the meetings and try out by filling out a form about general academics and past involvement in the club. Then, depending on that you are placed on the team or made an alternate. If enough people try out they can make a ‘team B.’ Each team has approximately fifteen students on it.”

It’s also a great program because any student can get involved. Overall, Science Olympiad provides a wonderful chance for students who are extremely passionate about science to expand their horizons and see what they are capable of.

The future of technology and science is in the hands of the young people of today, and thanks to Science Olympiad, students are able to foster their creativity and explore our planet through the magnificent world of science.