Congratulations to Tappan Zee High School Science Olympiad team members James B., Adrianne G. and Arpi C. on their top five finishes at the New York State Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Byram Hills High School last weekend!
James, a junior, placed second in the Scrambler, an engineering challenge in which competitors must build a launcher to propel an egg-carrying vehicle able to travel along a course with speed and precision–without breaking the egg!
Seniors Adrianne and Arpi teamed up to place fourth in Optics and sixth in Wind Power. Both competitions consisted of written and hands-on components.
The timed Optics challenge entailed “positioning mirrors in a box in such a way that it would direct a laser with precision to a target,” Arpi explained.
Adrianne, who has participated in Science Olympiad since sixth grade, built a small turbine to generate electricity from wind power–a new experience for the veteran competitor. “This was my first year doing a building event; I wish I had done it earlier,” they said.
All three medalists joined the team as a means to extend classroom learning and explore interests in science and engineering and encourage others to get involved. To advance to States, a winning individual performance is not enough–overall scores are calculated at the team level across more than 20 events. The larger and more diverse the team, the better its chances to score high enough to make it to States and, eventually, Nationals.
“I wish people knew more about the community. There is a real connection among members because of our shared interests,” Adrianne noted.
Arpi added, “The in-person regionals are a great experience. I met a lot of people from other schools and, although there is definitely a strong sense of competitiveness, it’s friendly and fun.”
Interested? Check the TZHS Announcements and TZHS Google Calendar for upcoming team meeting dates.
Once again, congratulations to James, Adrianne and Arpi and to team advisors Nicholas Desantis and Jim Keelty!