Scientists in the Making


by Mary Burke

On Saturday, March 24, 2018, Delone Catholic’s Science Club participated in the Science Olympiad. The event was held at Millersville University. The Science Olympiad is a competition relating to different aspects of science. These topics include Astronomy, Forensics, Ecology, and Anatomy and Physiology, as well as subjects that involve programming or engineering. Students who participate in the Olympiad choose one or more topics to compete in.

The competitions can consist of a written test, a lab, or a demonstration (in the case of a topic that requires engineering, such as “Helicopters” or “Mousetrap Vehicle”). Fifty minutes were allotted for each event. The first events took place at 9:00 a.m., and the last event that Delone participated in ended at 2:50.

This is Delone’s seventh year participating in the Olympiad. Members of the science club have prepared for the occasion since November, when they had first decided on their topic or topics. Ten members of the science club registered for and participated in the Olympiad this year (eleven Delone students in total participated: one was not a member of the Science Club).

Delone performed relatively well in this year’s Olympiad, scoring second place in the Herpetology category, fifth in the Ecology category, and seventh in the Dynamic Planet category. Millersville University’s Science olympiad hosted thirty teams this year.

While it may be easy to assume that a competition like this may be dull, many members of the Science Club enjoy participating in this event, for a wide variety of reasons. Some members enjoy the competitive aspect of the Olympiad.

When asked about her reason for participating, Samantha Mariano, a returning member of the Science Club, stated, “I wanted to learn new things and apply them in a competitive setting.” Other members attended to enhance their knowledge of science. Emily Kiger, a sophomore at Delone Catholic, declared, “I have been interested in science for a really long time, and I thought this would be a great way to develop more skills for college and future careers”. However, all members can agree that one of the best characteristic of the event was the fun itself.

According to Alissa Magaha, a junior at Delone, “some things (in the Olympiad) are hard, but it’s still fun”. Sophia Gilbart, Vice President of the Science Club, believes that, “The competition is fun, and allows for team bonding” for those in the club. Gilbart also claims, “It’s one of my favorite events for Science Club”.

Despite the event’s popularity among members of the Science Club, many other students at Delone Catholic are unaware that their school participates.

“It usually conflicts with other events.,” added Kiger. “Not a lot of people know it’s happening”.

Magaha shares the same sympathy, claiming that, “A lot more people should participate. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it; it’s a lot of fun.”

Those in the Science Club share a strong desire to encourage others to join. “We could always use new members. We welcome everyone- it’s always fun”, Mariano states. Gilbart holds the same opinion, saying, “If you have even the slightest bit of interest in science, you should totally participate in the Olympiad”.

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