On Friday afternoon, a group of students from Unaka High School will be traveling to Knoxville to compete in the state Science Bowl competition.
Five students and two teachers will be heading to the science quiz show which is sponsored each year by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. If the UHS team wins the state competition, they will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Office of Science’s National Science Bowl from April 28 to May 2. The winning team of the national competition will win prizes for the team members and their school. At the Finals, winning teams can score exciting adventure trips to Alaska and national parks across the country to learn first-hand about science in the field; as well as trophies, medals, and supplies for their schools’ science departments.
Each school participating is allowed to bring five students — four team members and an alternate — to compete in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format.
UHS teachers Scott Reis, who teaches chemistry, AP chemistry, and physics, and Justin Herald, who teaches biology, AP biology, and physical science, are the team’s coaches and will be chaperoning the trip to Knoxville. The team members are Ray Combs, Jessica Davis, Luke Thomas, Renyá Austin and Ian Moore.
“A lot of the students are going are in our (Advanced Placement) classes and this is the first year we’ve had AP classes so that is exciting,” Reis said.
The students and teachers will leave Elizabethton Friday afternoon and the competition will begin Saturday morning at Pellissippi State Community College.
Reis said he and the students have been working hard to prepare for the competition.
“They have practice questions online and we’ve been practicing the format,” Reis said. “It’s an interesting format. If you answer a question before they get finished reading it you get more points.”
Unaka High has competed in the Science Bowl in previous years, but last they were not able to attend due to inclement weather, Reis said. All of the team members this year will be competing in their first ever Science Bowl.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to represent Unaka at the Science Bowl competition,” Reis said.