Noal Rod (left) and Diora Nabiyeva (right) prepare to compete in the “Roller Coaster” category at a Virginia Science Olympiad at the University of Mary Washington Saturday. The regional competition brought hundreds of fifth- through 12th-graders to campus. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Stafford High School senior Justin Kelly used a curious collection of objects to make his science competition entry last weekend: PVC pipe, duct tape, Styrofoam, a No. 2 pencil, half a sock.
Despite its patchwork of parts, the contraption – an egg transporter that represents a lesson in physics – performed well in the “Scrambler” category, which tests devices designed to carry an egg to a finish line without cracking.
The challenge was part of a Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) competition hosted by the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, Feb. 25. The last of this year’s three regional contests, it brought hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade science enthusiasts to campus to test their STEM skills in biology and chemistry, anatomy and meteorology, forensics and forestry, and far beyond.
“UMW’s role as host gives students a glimpse of what opportunities are out there in terms of college,” said Senior Lecturer of Biology Michael Stebar, who served as onsite coordinator. “They’re in a physics lab surrounded by a myriad of equipment and instruments. They’re in a biology lab surrounded by microscopes and preserved organisms.”
The event had young scientists – 63 teams from 32 schools – testing bridges made of balsa wood, clocks that measured time with water and sand, and a host of homemade gadgets and gizmos designed to meet challenges under a constrict of rules. The top performers will be eligible to compete at the state level later this month in Charlottesville. Read more.