Originally Published in the March 21st Print Publication
Laser Beams, robots, architectural structures, chemistry kits, and teamwork make up Science Olympiad (SciOly), a club here at NCHS, where students of any grade and any skill can join and compete in events of their choice.
Each member is usually allowed to participate in three events. If there are a lot of interested members, there are tryouts or “preliminary” rounds for certain events. Specifically, there are three main types of categories each event falls under: study, lab, and build. Study events consist of studying for a test you take on the day of the competition. Lab events consist of actually dealing with chemicals and doing hands-on experiments the day of the competition. Finally, build events consist of “showcasing and testing” the finished build you have created on the day of the competition.
Though SciOly contains so many events, some of the most popular ones are astronomy, ecology, tower microbe mission, and anatomy & physiology. However, a few events switch, meaning that they are not available anymore, so students have to choose their event based on what is available that specific year. “You have to spend a lot of time preparing for your events if you want to do good,” Choi said. And usually, students have to advance with their teams, so having to trust one another and helping each other is the most important thing. That being said, SciOly is an extremely competitive extracurricular.
Especially for those who want to go into science related majors, this club is extremely beneficial because the specific events that are personally chosen allow students to get a peek into what those majors would involve and what kind of topics would be studied. When asked how this club helps current students, “This year, I am taking Chem Lab, Disease Detectives, and Materials Science, all events either related to chemistry or epidemiology (my two preferred majors).” Israfel Ibrahim, a senior in SciOly, said. Even for students who are unsure of what they want to do, and if this club will help them or not, “It’s a great place to experiment with a lot of different science topics, and see which ones you like and which ones you don’t,” sophomore Yunhan Li said.
SciOly doesn’t just mean hard work, dedication and perseverance. It also means having fun with friends, making new memories, learning new skills, and enjoying something one is passionate about. “It’s really chill, you have 3-4 events that take up 3-4 hours, and then the rest of the time you just have fun and eat,” Li said.
“It has helped me learn things and hopefully I can use them in my future career. It also teaches you things like hard work and perseverance, even if you don’t win you realize you just have to work harder, and then you do.” Goverdhana said. Joining this club students receive the opportunity to not only spend time with friends, get to study what their interests are, but also get rewarded for the hard work they put in. “If we’re talking about my first club meeting experience, it was pretty disorienting…everyone knew what they were doing, and so as an outsider looking in, it was pretty daunting. However, if we’re talking about the first competition I went to for SciOly, it was inspiring. Seeing the effort people put into their events, whether it be extremely detailed note sheets or extravagant builds, ignited a passion in me to also try my hardest and do the best that I could there.” Ibrahim said.
SciOly is one of those experiences that one will never forget. Being a part of a team that supports you and cheers you on is something that motivates you to do better. Even though one might not win any medals, being a part of a team is already like winning. “One of my favorite things about this club is the inspiration you can get from looking at other peoples’ efforts. It drives you to also want to do better, to be on the same level with your peers.” Ibrahim said.
Students of any grade level and skill can join this club, it won’t just help learn more about fields incorporating sciences, it will help learn new knowledge, what their interests are, but create friendships, accomplishments and memories that will last a lifetime.
it won’t just help learn more about fields incorporating sciences, it will help learn new knowledge, what their interests are, but create friendships, accomplishments and memories that will last a lifetime.