After being grilled for about five hours on all topics related to science, a team of five high school students in Gainesville is preparing to blast off to the National Science Bowl’s regional competition.
The 16- to 18-year-old Eastside High School students recently won the qualifier competition and will advance to the regional competition Saturday at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. They will compete against 19 other schools for a slot at the national competition.
The Jeopardy-style, double-elimination competition includes questions covering a broad range of scientific topics from biology to chemistry to math.
For Yuxin Zhang, a 16-year-old EHS junior and team member, preparation means putting in the extra time to have a competitive edge. Because EHS doesn’t offer earth and space science classes — Zhang’s area of specialty on the science bowl team — she said it’s pushed her to study on her own. Zhang deals with topics she enjoys along with ones she isn’t fond of.
“I don’t like memorizing [different] kinds of soil,” she said.
Last year, David Liu, a 17-year-old EHS senior and team captain, said the team faltered in the last round of the regional tournament when one member tried to answer before a judge acknowledged him — a technicality that cost the team a spot in the national competition. Liu said his team spends about six hours a week practicing for competitions using sample questions and a $250 buzzer system.
“The fact that it’s so fast paced lends to a lot of pressure and mistakes,” he said. “I like how it’s not a paper-based test. You can see the actual people you’re competing against.”
Chen Liu, a UF pathophysiology professor and the team’s coach, said the competition is helpful in giving high school students a competitive edge for college entry.
“In class, you won’t have the opportunity to bring all these subjects together,” he said.
