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”.

Popular posts from this blog

Speech & Debate Team Reigns Supreme After Hiatus

Image
by Maggie Murray '24 Photo Credit: Victoria Staub When people think of Delone Catholic’s championship teams, many people think of the baseball team's district win and the basketball team's various victories, but very few people think of the Speech and Debate team.  Due to Covid, Speech and Debate has been dormant for the past few years, but because of the efforts of coaches Mrs. Jennifer Knechtmann, Social Studies teacher and head coach, and Kaitlin Repp ‘18, as well as the hard work and dedication of the team, the group has returned for a very successful season.  Repp, assistant coach of the team, stated, "In my first year as an assistant coach, I never imagined that the team would be so successful, especially right after Covid. From placing in the top three at tournaments throughout the year to having state semi-finalists and finalists, this year marked a huge milestone for our team."  Each member of the team was tasked with finding a ten-minute piece and perfor
Read more

A Clue As to Why Theatre is More Than Just An Extracurricular

Image
 by Aubrey Dittmar '23 Why is theatre important? Senior Joey Chirillo is one of the best students to answer this question. Chirillo is the Delone Catholic Theatre Department’s Sound Director; he controls all of the sound effects you hear during the show along with all of the microphones. Joey had  no prior experience in theatre, but had prior experience working with sound. Since the end of his sophomore year, Joey had spent time with Walter Kotlinsky '22 learning about sound technology during the school Masses and pep rallies.  The cast of Clue photo credit Brienna Richelle Last year he was asked to help out with the fall play Bethel Park Falls and it’s easy to say that he was the perfect fit. Joey not only did exactly what he was supposed to do, but went above and beyond and even added some extra sounds like birds chirping, or crickets, to truly immerse the audience into the scene. Joey liked the job so much that he even continued onto the Spring musical, Seussical , complete
Read more

300 Words: The Heart of a Black Belt

Image
by Molly Stonesifer '24 Joy and Molly Stonesifer Students enter and exit the martial arts studio. Most of them recognize the two sisters leading the classes; one wears a red gi, the other in blue. The sisters smile and laugh with students, help the ones struggling, and guide the activities of the class. But none of the students know how they got there. How, years ago, they started as white belts in a small martial arts school inside Walmart. How they started to earn belts together and climb the ranks. How they earned Black Belt Club and started to train with weapons.  How they learned to stand up for themselves and gain confidence. How they continued to train and earn Master’s Club, the advanced weapon training. How the sisters became leaders as the school continued to grow. How they didn’t stop their training once they earned their black belts, and continued to hone their skills. How the sisters earned higher levels of black belt, obtaining their second degree. How, over the phone
Read more