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The Northside High School Science Olympiad varsity team competed in the virtual Satellite Tournament of the North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) this year on Feb. 20 and March 6. This tournament included 26 Division C varsity high school teams from across the state.

This is different than the ‘normal’ regional tournament with local high schools from this area of the state.  This year high school teams could choose to do the virtual Satellite Tournament from their high school or a regional Mini SO where students competed virtually from home. Northside chose to do the virtual Satellite Tournament and competed on two Saturdays in 25 total events.  The Northside varsity team placed in the top 10 of nine events of the Satellite Tournament. The team won first place in Bottle Rockets and will compete as a First Place Overall Winner (FPOW) for this event in the virtual state Science Olympiad tournament in April.

Science Olympiad is an academic competition that is rigorous, hands-on, and inquiry based. The competition gives students the opportunity to explore different areas of science such as biology, chemistry, earth science, environmental science, physics, engineering and technology. Students learn the importance of collaboration. They also learn important life skills such as how to be problem solver, an independent thinker, as well as, a supportive team player.

“Science Olympiad challenges my students, whether they are shooting off rockets, designing & building a boomilever or gravity vehicle, trying to identify a bird from listening to bird songs, studying forensics or fossils, or one of the other 19 study event topics,” said Daphne B. Cullom, Northside’s Science Olympiad coach and Science Club advisor, said.

“Many of our team members leave Northside and attend college, such as North Carolina State University, to further their studies in engineering or one of the many other disciplines of science.”

Listed below are the event highlights for the 2020-21 NHS SO Varsity team.

First Place – Bottle Rockets Sam Vansant and Zachary Bond

Third Place – Gravity Vehicle Caleb Jefferson and Zachary Bond

Fifth Place – Digital Structures Sam Vansant

Sixth Place – Mystery Architecture Natalie Asby and Paige Sawyer

Sixth Place – Write It, Do It Natalie Asby and Paige Sawyer

Eighth Place – Fermi Questions David Guy and Sam Vansant

Eighth Place – Geologic Mapping Caleb Jefferson and Gus Vansant

Ninth Place – Picture This Zachary Bond and Courtney Lilley

10th Place – Forensics Courtney Lilley and Karen Maldonado