The Mentor High Science Olympiad team consists of many talented students. The members include: Seniors-John Antos, Corey DeFife, Brandi Fry, Melody Hu, Jon Griffith, Jeff Loebig, Danielle Seaman, Binit Shah; Juniors-Mark Barden, Mike Branstein, Carolyn Brown, Dominic DelRe, Al Hoskinson, Brian Leppert, Jay Loebig; Sophmore-Jared DeFife. We participated in many events. These include: BioProcess, Chem Clue, Chem Lab, Designer Genes, Earth Science Lab, Experimental Design, Time, Periodic Table, Road Scholar, Science Fitness, Treemendous, Water Qulaity, What Are You Trying to Tell Me?, Write It Do It, Bottle Rocket Building, Bridge Building, Mission Possible, Naked Egg Drop, Nature Quest, Pentathalon, Physics Lab, Scrambler, Polymer, and Surf Net.
Jon Griffith and I had lots of fun at Case Western Reserve for the regional competition. In the morning I did the pentahon with Carolyn Brown, Danielle Seaman, and John Antos. In it, I performed a biology activity and threw a frisbee and a tennis ball into a goal. We think we placed second. Then I teamed up with Jon in What Are You Trying to Tell Me?, BioProcess Lab, and Designer Genes.
We took second place and recieved silver medals in BioProcess Lab and Designer Genes. Anyway, we worked really well together and we were kept really busy all day long. I'm really looking forward to states at Ohio State University on April 26, 1997.
Mike Branstein and Brian Leppert working diligently at Road Scholar.
The Mission Possible Contraption
They call the event "Mission Possible." Members of our team found out that this may not be as possible as it may seem. This event is similar to a Rube Goldberg device which incorporates many unique Action Transfers using up to five Energy Form to accomplish a specific task in a specific amount of time. The devices were then demonstrated and judged during the competition. The team had to build a device that moved three spherical objects through the device from their individual starting points to their common destination, a cylindrical container. While the task completion requirements were different for the B and C divisions (we belong to the high school, C division), both divisions' objects had to undergo Action Transfers that may use up to five Energy Forms, all of which must be documented in the Action Transfer List. The entire running time must be at least two minutes, with a maximum of five minutes. The team was successful, and this year finished with a positive score.
Running the Contraption
John Antos and Mike Branstein with the contraption after the competition.
Jared DeFife preparing for the Water Quality Lab
Water Quality basically deals with water ecology. Jared and I were partners for this lab. We divided up the work, he memorized the microinvertebrates we needed to know and I figured out how to do the testing of the "lake" we would be given. He and I had both joined the team only days before the competition, and we're quite sure how we would do in the lab. Jared was awesome with the critters. They showed us slides of real organisms, after he had memorized sketches of them. He was able to identify almost all of them. I was amazed! There was then a mulitple choise test that was pretty much common sense. Then came the lab. We hadn't brought any testing equipment, so when there wasn't any to use, we didn't know what to do. The only thing we could do was to not do it or guess. The pH level was the only thing on there that we could even begin to guess at. I figured that 7 would be a good number. We thought that we would place never the bottom of the list because we hadn't done a third of the lab. When the results were posted, we were shocked to learn that we had placed second!
Mark Barden and Dominic DelRe complete the Chemistry Lab
Carolyn Brown and Al Hoskinson prepare to go on a Nature Quest
Binit Shah, a.k.a. "Awards Boy," finally shows up for one event and then relaxes with the rest of the team. Supposively he had an interview for NEOUCOM. We all know the real reason is that he didn't want to catch the bus at 7:00 in the morning!
As of 2/25/97, we were in third place! That means we can attend the state competition at Ohio State University. The official results are the competition are not in yet, but when they are, they will be posted as soon as possible.
Those who stayed to pick up the awards. From left to right: a director of the competition, Larry Miller (past member of the Mentor Team), Binit Shah (Awards Boy), Ms. S. (an advisor to the team), and Mr. Ramsey (another advisor to the team).
We arrived at Columbus on Friday, April 25th! These are some of the pictures that we took after we arrived.
