By: Piano Kaewchaiyo (8th)
As you watch the clock’s minute hand shift right ever so slowly, you yawn, waiting for science class to end. You are sitting in your science classroom, flipping through textbooks and notes. Boring, right? You wonder: Is there more to science than just reviewing useless textbook pages? At Colonial Middle School, we offer many science, math and technology extracurriculars. My personal favorite, Science Olympiad, allows students to get a feel on every aspect of a competitive, passion-driven environment. If you ever wanted to fuel your science passion while making new friends, Science Olympiad is the place for you!
In my experience, I was captivated by the many events offered. Middle school students and highschool students from grades 6-9 were offered plenty of events in division B; These events range from testing and hands-on to stations and lab events. One of the testing events I participated in was Codebusters. Codebusters is a division B and division C event, focusing on the art of cryptography, encrypting and decrypting ciphers. Filling my mind with knowledge, I pieced together the ciphers, deciphering the ciphertexts with my peers. As someone who never learned cryptography in my life, I found that in Science Olympiad, learning new science based skills is possible. I’ve realized from Science Olympiad that it’s never too late nor too early to learn new things. Learning experiences come naturally in the world of science! I’ve met plenty of people who have encouraged me to continue doing Science Olympiad in the future, and I am confident that the group of people you will meet will do the same.
Being a Science Olympiad member opens up myriad opportunities for you to learn new areas of science and socialize with peers. Completing an event with your friends can make you feel fulfilled, and learning through trial and error on your events can build your understanding. The success you will feel when designing a successful tower or rocket will be the most memorable feeling you will feel in your middle school experience.
The designated place for Science Olympiad members to work on their events is in Room 122, Mrs.Wistreich’s room, who is the sponsor for this program. Whether you are working on your events Monday or Friday during activity period, you are always growing your knowledge about science! You can take the information that you gain from Science Olympiad, applying it to your science classroom and daily life. And you should know that trivia will become a piece of cake for you. Division C at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School is also an opportunity for you to try different events and work with a bigger team, so joining the team makes you even more excited for your highschool experience. Especially for those who are leaning towards the STEM field, Science Olympiad is a brilliant extracurricular that will sharpen your skills for your future career.
What are you waiting for? Are you ready to make your school proud?