Club Spotlight: Science Olympiad

By ERIN HAN

From goggle-clad experiments in Phelps Science Building classrooms to solitary research fueled by little more than a single laptop, the pursuit of science captivates countless Exonians on campus. To satisfy these interests, many Exonians turn to the various STEM clubs on campus, which each offer their specialties in hopes of matching some of these Exonians’ extracurricular palettes. Among them, though, is a club that conversely embraces the full range of science, featuring twenty-three events across STEM subjects. This is Science Olympiad, a club and competition that serves as a catalyst for scientific minds on campus, bringing together students from a sea of scientific disciplines.

SciOly at Exeter divides itself into two primary parts: build and study events. The “studies” portion of the olympiad involves standardized testing in various STEM subjects. At competitions, pairs of students each take a test which is usually further divided into a lab and written portion. The “builds” portion, on the other hand, involves both pre-made structures and blueprints, and live, on-the-spot constructions at competitions.

As a group that’s subtly notorious for its competitive entry requirements, the try-out process and first days as a part of the group can feel justifiably nerve-wracking for some. 

Senior and co-head Byran Huang, who specializes in the build events, recognized this reputation. “Our tryouts are kind of notoriously challenging. Basically we ask you to study for a Science Olympiad event, we test you on it, and literally see how high you score. Of course, we take into account some of your experience and your passion and how well you studied, but the test usually is the biggest thing. Then once you get on the team, it’s always fun to pick your events—you battle over them with some other people who really want to do it, and you try to find a good compromise!”

“When I first came to SciOly, I didn’t know how to study for my events or communicate with my partners,” shared upper Anne Wang, an alternate for the varsity team this year. “My first competition did not go too well, but after that, I learned that studying with my partners is really important. I studied with two of my partners before our states competition, and ended up placing much higher in each event.”

Huang, who also serves as a co-head of the Robotics Club on campus, noted the difference between the two clubs, which both pertain to building and mechanics. “I think that the difference between robotics and building in Sci Oly is super dedicated on one build and you have really, really tight restrictions on how you can build it. One of the most specific events is the ‘tower,’ which is where you construct a sort of triangular pyramid as light as you can, and you’ll have to put weights on the top of it until it breaks. So it’s all a matter of the strength-to-weight ratio, right, while it’s a bit different for robotics.”

Senior and co-head Lexi Meyer, who specializes in studies and is a logistics coordinator for the club, also commented on a distinction between SciOly and other STEM clubs on campus. “I know a lot of science clubs can be of the less competitive type, but it’s a way to kind of prove in a national program that you know what you’re doing. So it’s something that you can get something very tangible out of. As Exeter students, sure we don’t have a ton of time to prepare, but, we’re also all very capable.”

Huang added, “I think what sets the club apart is that you spend the entire winter and fall term studying or preparing for the test. I think SciOly is one of those few things where it’s not luck-based at all.”

Even for those who are most passionate about science, there are “comfort zones,” alongside subjects that can feel more intimidating. SciOly, living up to the formidable word “science” in its title, pushes members to expand their scientific horizons. “When we make the team, we send out a Google form asking what subjects in science people are interested in. That includes biology, physics, chem, and earth sciences. I guess it’s one of the ways we’re always challenging you to not just stick with things that you’ve learned at school,” explained senior and co-head Stella Song.

“I think people should join SciOly if they love learning about science subjects outside of class. I really learned so much more about ecology, astronomy, and terrain formation through this club,” affirmed Wang. “To me, it feels like independently learning about a subject outside of school, but with the support of my partners and an incentive to compete.”

As a national, standardized competition, however, the club has experienced its fair share of obstacles. “I think the main ‘challenge’ is kind of Exeter-specific,” stated Huang. “It’s trying to find that time when you have the bandwidth and resources to get x, y, z done, right? As a mainly student-run club where we’re kind of at that challenge of self-learn everything, while many other clubs are quite literally hiring professors to teach them these subjects.” He added, “But I think that’s both a great challenge and opportunity to build our skills.” 

Echoing Huang, senior and co-head Justin Zheng noted another critical skill that SciOly sharpens: “One part is definitely the work ethic. You have to be like studying before this event a lot beforehand, and I think that’s definitely a big skill that you develop with Science Olympiad because there’s so much to study for for studies, and there’s a lot to build, for builds. You have to keep testing your device over and over and building it again.” 

He detailed, “Then I think the second aspect is just being able to perform under pressure. Obviously for the studies you’re under a lot of pressure to perform, and for builds, the structure also really needs to be set up correctly—even if it’s off by like a centimeter, it could really ruin your test.”

All co-heads expressed the common belief that Science Olympiad was a place from which their current scientific interests had sprung, whether that be back into the classroom, in the form of advanced courses, or to an cocurricular project.

“The reason I took high level science courses at Exeter was because of Science Olympiad,” said Huang. “It helped me come in with the practice and the knowledge of how to study well.”

Though SciOly may, in essence, be rooted in pure logic, colorless velocities, dimensions, and moles, as a heavily student-led club, Science Olympiad is a genuine labor of love.

“I started really falling in love with astronomy and electrical engineering through Science Olympiad, which is what I mainly do now, even for robotics and everything else,” stated Huang. “I think SciOly really is a catalyst to learn more things, and dive deeper into the topics that interest you outside of class.”