On Saturday, under the warm sun on the University of Portland’s campus, high school students competing in this year’s Science Bowl threw Frisbees and shared lively laughter. But everything changed when the buzzer sounded in the competition venue, breaking the deep silence of concentration.
Approximately 200 students from high schools in Oregon and Washington gathered on college campuses to compete in the 32nd annual Bonneville Power Association Regional Science Bowl.
“What is the name of an object that emits electromagnetic radiation with an emissivity of 1?” asked the moderator.
Within seconds, Whitley Liang, an 11th grader at Beaverton’s Mountainside High School, buzzed in.
“Black bodies,” he said.
correct.
Team captain Liang said he and his classmates have been practicing since the beginning of the school year. They are rehearsing questions that cover the full range of scientific disciplines, including physics, biology, chemistry and more, he said.
By midday, the team had won two of three games in the round-robin portion of the tournament. From there, the teams advance to a double elimination match.
“We got beaten in the first round and we were disappointed,” Liang said. “But as we went on, we got more comfortable and started doing better. We’re just enjoying the experience.”
Georgia Polk, Mountainside science teacher and team coach, said the students like to have fun and relax between rounds. When they weren’t hovering over the big button trying to answer questions, they joked and chatted in the halls of Franz Hall, where the games were held.
Each of the 38 competing teams had five students participating, with some schools sending multiple teams. Her four students compete on each team, with her fifth replacing as needed.
Regional bowl winners qualify for the national tournament in Washington, D.C., in April. The winner of that contest will take home her $5,000 grand prize to the school’s science department. The junior high school regional competition was held on February 3rd and was won by BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school in Washington state.
Sultan Weatherspoon was on the UP campus with his son, Isaiah Weatherspoon, to cheer him on Saturday. His son is on one of Vancouver’s Mountain View High School teams that won a regional bowl last year. Weatherspoon said it was fun to see the teamwork on display.
“All of these young people are smart on their own, but it takes teamwork to accomplish really good things,” he said. “For these talented kids, it really fuels it.”
Isaiah Weatherspoon said the competition is stressful, but the team is having a good time. He said the competitive setting helps make learning more fun. After Weatherspoon graduates, he said he wants to study computer science and graphics engineering at the University of Washington.
“It’s been a great time. We’re doing really well,” he said. “The format is a lot of fun. Other science competitions are often tests, but this one is a game.”
Senior Eric Zahn, the team captain, echoed similar sentiments. He said the team works well together, with each member specializing in a different area of science. Zang said the most nervous part of the competition is before it starts.
“Once you get into the competition, everything else disappears,” he said. “It’s important to stay positive. Mistakes are bound to be made, but you have to let them go and keep going.”
Many of the teams scheduled to compete in this year’s bowl are from Portland, including Katlin Gabel School, Riverdale High School and Parkrose High School. Several teams from Lincoln High School in downtown Portland also participated.
Tanush Sistra, a senior at Lincoln University and one of the team captains, said the tournament had its ups and downs, but overall it was a good experience.
“My team is doing very well,” he said. “There were some tough times, but we will always bounce back.”
Systra’s team had won four games in the round robin by noon. He values the community surrounding competitions like the Science Bowl, which he said gives students a passion for the future.
“This is a great way to build a scientific community,” he said. “For lack of a better word, it’s great to see a bunch of geeks who are excited about something like this come together. It gives us perspective on what we can do in the future in science.” think.”
The Bonneville Bowl ended with a victory for Mountain View High School Team 1, captained by Zhang. Team 1 from Lake Oswego High School took second place and Team 1 from Westview High School took his third place. Lincoln High School Team 1 placed him in 4th place.
— Austin de Dios covers public safety and diversity, equity and inclusion. Please contact us at 503-319-9744. adidios@oregonian.com Or @AustinDeDios.
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