Gabrielle Savelli, Reporter
Photos contributed by Anne-Eva Ritter
On January 23 the New Canaan High School Science Team traveled to Yale University in New Haven to compete in the Yale Science Bowl. The Yale Bowl is an invitational competition, and it was the first year Yale had hosted a high school bowl.
Co-Captains Niyathi Iyengar, Claire-Helene Ritter, Anne-Eva Ritter and Nolan McLaughlin have led the team to both the Yale Bowl and the National Science Bowl. The National Science Bowl is a regional level competition that they participated in on February 28 at the UConn Storrs campus. While they didn’t make it to nationals, they still did very well. “We had two teams make it to the double elimination rounds, making us one of the 16 teams in the state,” Claire-Helene said.
Although they did not win any awards at the Yale Bowl, they had the opportunity to compete against a larger field of teams. “What makes it so special is that the Yale Science Bowl is open to teams from other states,” Science Team Advisor Mathew Apgar said. “This allows us to compete with teams that we have never competed against in the National Science Bowl because they are not from Connecticut.”
For those who are interested, the Science Team meets every Thursday in Room 309. While the name might be deceiving, this club is not all about learning science facts. Instead, it’s about learning strategies to succeed in science competitions. For example, they participate in buzzer competitions. While these competitions may look similar to game shows like Jeopardy, they actually are played very differently. “There’s really specific rules,” Mr. Apgar said. There’s four people on each team. So for example, it’d be A1, A captain, A3, and A4. If you buzz in to answer a question, you have to wait for them to address you to be able to talk. If you are A3, they have to call you, and then you can speak . If you talk earlier, it’s called a blurt, and you give the other team four points. Then, they get to answer the question. Since this could give the other team the correct answer, that’s one of the things we practice in order to get away from that Jeopardy instinct.”
While many students come in with a plethora of preliminary knowledge in science, if science isn’t your strong suit, that does not disqualify you from joining. Any level of science knowledge is welcome. According to Mr. Apgar, the club is not about having to be an expert in every science field. “ We compete in teams of four,” Mr. Apgar said. We have each team member specialize in two categories of questions of the National Science Bowl. These categories are Math, Biology, Physics, Earth & Space, and Energy,”
From a coach’s point of view, science bowls are different from competitive sports. “When I’m coaching during the matches, I’m not allowed to speak up at all,” Mr Apgar said. “It’s not like basketball or football; I can’t throw a coach’s challenge flag. The team captain has to do that. During the competition, sometimes I’ll tell the team captain, ‘look out for this,’ or ‘if that comes up again, you should challenge that.’”
Because Mr. Apgar isn’t able to aid the team while the competition is going on, he has to watch from the sidelines. As a coach, a lot goes through his head when the questions are asked. “If it’s a physics question, I’m usually nervous because I generally know the answer. If it’s a bio or a chem question, it usually doesn’t make any sense to me.’’
From a club members point of view, competitions are a little different. Being prepared is an important part of feeling confident going into matches. ‘’The main way we prepare for these competitions is by doing practice questions during our regular club meetings,”Claire-Helene said. “However, our members also usually study content outside of school in order to prepare.”
Whether an individual is an incoming freshman or even an upperclassman looking to participate in another extracurricular, the Science Team recommends that all students consider participating. “Most people have a lot of fun at our club meetings and events, especially if they have a competitive spirit,” Claire-Helene said.
Mr. Apgar has similar advice for those thinking of joining. “It’s lots of fun,” he said. “You get to talk to a lot of people that are really into science and math, so if you’re interested in those areas, it tends to be a good time. It’s a great opportunity and you get to show off what you’ve learned in class.”
The Science team is welcoming for everyone. “It’s okay if you don’t feel like you have a lot of science knowledge,” Co-captain Anne-Eva said. “The whole point is simply to learn and have fun.”
