Science Olympiad team begins preparation for Regionals

The Science Olympiad team is ready to begin preparing for the Science Olympiad Regionals on March 19. Science Club officers have already chosen the team, and the individual members of the team are working hard to prepare for their events.

Science Olympiad is often compared to Science Bowl, a “Jeopardy!”-like trivia contest. Science Olympiad, however, is geared to underclassmen and focuses in different areas.

Junior Nicholas Sum, one of the organizers of Science Olympiad, said there is nothing “Jeopardy!”-like in Olympiad. For example, there are events like labs, builds, and written tests in different areas. These events are more interactive in comparison to Bowl’s pure questioning.

Another major difference is that Science Bowl is much more exclusive and includes an extensive tryout process. To make the Science Bowl team, students must score well on a test and also do well in a buzzer simulation. Science Olympiad, on the other hand, is more open to members looking to join, as there is a minimal tryout process.

In Science Olympiad regionals, different Science Olympiad teams from different schools will compete in various events, ranging from conducting labs to filling out written tests. In total, there are 25 different events for teams to compete in.

Science Olympiad participants will practice on their own until Science Olympiad regionals. There will be weekly or biweekly meetings where officers will help students with their projects or to check up on their progress.

"This year, we are planning to work very hard to do well at the competition," Sum said.