With last year’s hard work and success going to the National Science Bowl Competition, the BCCHS Science Bowl team will attend the regional competition with confidence. To get the chance of holding the tickets to Nationals again this year, the team and their advisors will have to work dedicatedly throughout the winter.
Working just like any other sport, Science Bowl is a good opportunity for students with science and math skills who want to dive deeper into these areas. It is also a great opportunity for those students who have been waiting to bring their knowledge to a new level. The most interesting part about Science Bowl is that you get a chance to experience the culture of teamwork. Alex Johnson, a junior at Central who was also a part of the team last year and the year prior, is going to contribute his understanding, as well as experience, to the ambition of maintaining the winning streak of the team this year. According to Johnson, Science Bowl is not only an academic competition but a combination of teamwork, spirit, mental strength, science, and math.
Knowing how to play “the game of science” well and strategizing are the two important skills for competitors to keep in mind during the game.“The point of practices is to meld as a team and be proficient so that you’re able to figure out who knows the question the best and who’s going to buzz in the next second,” Johnson shared. “You’re also reading your teammate’s expressions, hand gestures, the paper that they scribbled to show you how well they know the question, and their confidence in the question being asked,” he added. The process of asking yourself questions about making the right choice, recalling tons of practices to find the most accurate knowledge or relatable examples, and sometimes even battling mentally will lead to one final decision after the 5-second timer starts: Who should be the one buzzing in?
This year, besides the eagerness to secure a spot in the next Nationals, the team is faced with a slight change. For many previous years, Science Bowl only had two teams that participated in practices and competitions. Team A has more advanced knowledge and experience, and Team B looks forward to taking the spots on the main team in the future. This year, with the addition of lots of new faces, Fr. John Pankratz and Mrs. Jennifer Sogaard both agreed on creating a source of new, fresh minds, which will be Team C.
(From L to R) Freshman Liam Knight and Trinity Duncil discussing an answer during science bowl practice. (Joshua Strydom)
“I’m looking forward to seeing what our new minds can bring,” Fr. John expressed his optimism about having unfamiliar faces this year. “And also, my hope is to integrate these new freshmen and sophomores, giving a new group a chance to step into the varsity roles,” he continued. Will these new faces get their chances to enter the main team? Will Central come out victorious for the 4th year in a row? These questions will be answered on March 7th, 2025, as the Central Science Bowl team officially enters the regional competition.
