Hume students prepare for Science Olympiad

Hume student Samantha Reno works on a compound machine she built for Science Olympiad. Photos by Gloria Tucker/Daily Mail

Nevada Daily Mail

Continuing a 15-year tradition, 30 Hume students will demonstrate their understanding of science and travel to Holden on Saturday to compete in Science Olympiad.

Science Olympiad competitions for grades six through 12 consist of a series of 22 events for each middle school and high school team in the areas of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. Some events involve building machines, others involve labs and experiments and still others are simply paper tests.

Hume students Kolby Steuck and Raygen Spencer work on the robot they built for Science Olympiad.

Hume students will be competing in entomology, dynamic planet (glaciers), road scholar, simple machines, chem lab, robo-cross, wheeled vehicle, compound machines, forensics, geologic mapping and designer genes.

"Each kid will have five to six events throughout the day," sponsor Carrie Sutcliffe said. "It's intense, going back and forth and making sure they bring all the proper equipment."

Placing 21 out of 32 schools at the first meet of the season in Pembroke Hill last month, Sutcliffe said she expects better results at Holden.

Hume student Karlee Metcalf sands a simple machine she built for Science Olympiad.

"The students know more what to expect and there are only 12 schools," she said.

Kolby Steuck and Raygen Spencer will compete in robo-cross, designing and building a remote controlled robot that can travel a course and complete tasks.

"We haven't done this before," Steuck said. "We built our robot from used parts. I chose this event because I don't like tests, and I'm mechanically inclined."

Sierra King helps Samantha Reno saw wood for Reno's Science Olympiad event.

Steuck said he's found the project difficult and frustrating at times.

"If one gear is off, then the whole robot doesn't work," he said. "We've had to take it apart a million times."

Samantha Reno, a junior, will be competing for her third year. Her events include compound machines, building a second class lever, connecting it to a first class lever and measuring an unknown mass, designer genes, road scholar and chemistry.

"I joined because Mrs. Sutcliffe was very convincing," she said. "It's good for scholarships and I love science."

Reno said although she finds the events challenging, she still enjoys them.

"I've placed first, third and fifth at regionals in the past," she said.