NMS Science Bowl Team Wins Regional Competition, Qualifies For Nationals

Middle school students from across New England gathered at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus on April 5 to compete in the Northeast Regional Middle School Science Bowl. Eleven eighth grade students from Newtown Middle School were among those competing in two types of competitions, the question-and-answer math and science competition and the model hydrogen fuel cell car race. At the end of the day, it was announced that the overall regional winner that will be advancing to the US Department of Energy National Science Bowl Competition in Golden, Colo., was Newtown Middle School.

Newtown’s standout Academic Bowl team included Captain Ben Stoller, Tom Harrison, Rebecca Greenawalt, and John Hampford. John Hampford was originally slated to compete in the fuel cell competition, but due to last minute circumstances switched to the Academic Bowl.

Newtown’s other Academic Bowl team — led by Captain Lauren Harrison with the help of members Sean Decker, Peter Ovendorf, and Alex Taylor — also had a great day.

The hydrogen fuel cell car race also played a large role in determining the overall winner of the team competition. Representing Newtown were Erin Cunningham, Tara Rotas, and Chad Cullens. Erin’s older brother, Jamie Lillis, now a sophomore at Newtown High School, won the 2006 Regional fuel cell car competition when he was in eighth grade and the trophy from that year served as the team’s inspiration.

Newtown Middle School science teachers B.J. Liberty and Bev Johnsen offered interested eighth grade students in their classes the opportunity to qualify for the eight spots on the Academic Bowl teams. About 20 students had been studying since November in preparation for the competition.

They began practicing during their learning lab times using sample questions covering math and science topics in the areas of earth science, physical science, life science, and general science. Once it was determined which eight students would be competing, the studying became more intensive and those students also had an opportunity to practice ringing in on buzzers when they knew the answer to the fast paced, quiz showlike questions.

For the hydrogen fuel cell car competition, interested students had to design and build model cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Working in pairs, students met after school to create their cars out of various materials, often modifying and redesigning them after testing various options to determine what elements and designs worked best. Once the cars were completed, students raced their cars down the hallways of the school to determine the top two cars to compete for Newtown.

As winners of the Northeast Regional Middle School Science Bowl, four team members, an alternate and a teacher/coach, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Science Bowl in Colorado. There they will be competing against 38 other regional winners from across the country.

In addition to the competition, which will run June 19–22, participants will be involved in a variety of educational opportunities including science seminars and hands-on activities.

The National Science Bowl for middle school students was introduced by the Department of Energy in 2002 to encourage students to become more interested in science and to pursue careers in math and science that would benefit the DOE and the nation. It is the only science competition in the US that is sponsored by a federal agency.