Grace Fassler

With her right hand hovering over the buzzer, senior Lindsay Perrett answers questions in the science bowl. The team answered questions that concerned all branches of math and science. “It was an exciting event for me to be a part of, and it benefitted me academically too,” Perrett said.

Standing on platforms awaiting their final question, sophomore Caleb Levy and senior Lindsay Perrett compete in the Missouri Regional High School Science Bowl.

“You always have to be a little on edge while answering questions; it was nerve-racking but also exciting,” Levy said. “I would say that placing well in these kinds of competitions is always an accomplishment. It shows that you can perform and can stand up against other teams.”

Thirty-two other schools participated in the contest so the team consistently practiced on Mondays and Fridays to prepare.

¨Because our players have spring sports, we have had to reschedule, which makes practicing kind of hard so we have to work on our own,” Perrett said.

During the competition, players answered questions during each round of the contest for their team while also answering the additional bonus questions for additional points.

“The two teams try to answer the questions first, and correctly, but the real difference is in the bonus questions. You can get a lot more points from doing those. It’s good because it opens up more opportunities for the team,” Levy said. “It was pure excitement for me; I love answering the questions concerning math and science.”

The competitors study previous packets so that they can place well during the contest.

“The study guides contain past questions from other contests, so it helps to look at them,” Perrett said. “We usually quiz each other over different topics such as math and science. It is very helpful for when the time of the contest comes.”

Although the Science Bowl does not have as much recognition as other activities, the competitors put in weeks of time for it.

“I put in weeks of time for it, and we’re all committed to it,” Levy said. “It seemed intriguing and drew me into it because it’s just learning about different topics and studying and putting that knowledge to the test.”