Science Olympiad (SciOly), one of the many notable academic teams at Townsend Harris High School, began this year with new recruits. Students and coaches of the SciOly team have set their expectations high for this season and are already at work to get ready for this year’s competitions.
As the competition is rather intensive, preparation, cooperation, and teamwork are crucial. To further enhance their preparation, SciOly members attend seminars and workshops specific to their event(s) as well as study sessions. Each year, the team strives to achieve remarkable results. This year in particular, the team has seen a rise in interested members and has set new goals they would like to achieve to ensure success.
Chemistry teacher and SciOly coach, Olivia Comer shared her hopes for this school year. “One of our first goals is to make it to States, and then hopefully make a return to Nationals this year. But I am always so proud of how hard the team works, so I don’t expect anything different this year,”she said. She also added her thoughts regarding the new members of the club which mostly comprises underclassmen, “I feel really optimistic seeing the new members at Science Olympiad meetings. It seems like everyone is already so dedicated and ready to get started.”
Senior Emerald Yee, Spirit Coordinator of SciOly, described the current state of the incoming members of the community. “The new members seem very hardworking and on top of their game. They consistently try to come to meetings and some even go above and beyond to complete their practice and resource checks.” Similar to Ms.Comer, she adds her hopes for this year, “I hope we will go farther than we ever have, placing well in competitions and becoming more close-knit. But whatever we accomplish, we will still be proud of our teams regardless.”
However, the team recognizes improvements they must implement to ensure the success of this season, . Ms. Comer explains the importance of communicating with others in the SciOly community so members are on the same boat when it comes to the limitations in resources and preparation time for competitions. “I think that all the team members would benefit from more communication with members from other teams. Pooling resources and knowledge is extremely important… It also builds stronger relationships within the club as a whole,” she said.
Senior Vincent Yip, the Vice President of SciOly, said, “You have to be open-minded and collaborative with others in the club. The fastest way to improve is as a group since you can oftentimes cover way more ground that way while having a lot more fun than being by yourself. However, one must be willing to put in the work and grind by themselves… A lot of Science Olympiad in the end is grinding tests and studying.”
Vincent explains the importance of study sessions and their necessity despite the extensive workload and commitment.. “It is extremely important to come to the weekly mandated study sessions. While it may seem daunting at first, I can assure you that they really don’t feel like study sessions…Once a routine is built into your schedule, it becomes pretty easy to follow and you will find yourself working harder and improving at a much faster rate”, he added.
For many Harrisites, SciOly is not solely about memorization and intense study sessions but about nurturing a love for science, encouraging joint efforts, and gaining in depth scientific knowledge, surrounded by people with similar interests. Through collaboration, guidance, extensive preparation, and hands-on experiments, SciOly members have a plethora of ways to improve throughout the school year to succeed as a community and in competitions that display and showcase their scientific knowledge and skills.
