What property of a sound wave is most commonly associated with loudness?
The answer – amplitude – is something that members of Science Bowl work to know to score points.
Science Bowl is a trivia-style science knowledge competition that features 60 teams at the regional competition and provides teams with the opportunity to go to Nationals in Washington, D.C.
Bearden’s Science Bowl team, which has been around for more than a decade, has had considerable success. Mrs. Julie Smalling, who has been the coach and sponsor of Bearden’s Science Bowl team since 2012, has been a great part of that success.
“Our team won the Tennessee Regional Science Bowl in 2012, beating out 59 other teams from across Tennessee, which allowed us to go to the National Science Bowl competition in Washington D.C., totally paid for and we received a 1st place check for $1,000,” she said.
Bearden finished second in 2013, earning $750.
“The Science Bowl has a team of five students that has to be knowledgeable on many science topics such as biology, chemistry, physics, math, and computer science,” Mrs. Smalling said. “Usually, one or two students step up and recruit the rest of their team.”
For this past year, that student was Priya Soneji, who served as Science Bowl’s president and team captain. As the leader of the team, one of Soneji’s biggest challenges has been recruiting new members.
“With many of our seniors graduating, we won’t have enough members to compete next year,” Soneji said. “In order to keep the club going, the biggest challenge is recruiting members.
“The club is demanding, as it requires time outside of school, extensive knowledge of the sciences, and commitment to the competition. However, it is also rewarding since members are exposed to so much knowledge in their respective fields of science, develop fast responses and decision-making skills, and have the opportunity to network with like-minded students and the state’s leading scientists.”
All but one member of this year’s team is graduating in May, leaving Kalen Wilson as the sole returning member of next year’s team. Wilson will take the role of club president next year, but it will not be an easy task.
“The main struggle Science Bowl faces as a club is our lack of visibility,” Wilson said. “From what I see, quite a number of people at Bearden are interested in STEM-based activities and competitions, yet because it gets confused with Science Olympiad, many tend to overlook Science Bowl.”
Despite the intense roster turnover, Wilson has a plan to ensure the future of Science Bowl at Bearden.
“It’s almost like starting from scratch,” Wilson said. “Popularizing the club will be a daunting task, but luckily, I am looking to initiate a collaborative effort with Science Olympiad.
“Hopefully, we can ‘join forces’ in the near future, which will expose the club to a larger pool of students who may be interested.”
Soneji hopes that the team culture and mindset she has helped foster will continue after she graduates.
“I hope the team atmosphere and willingness to attempt every question, no matter how hard, will continue in the future,” she said. “We haven’t always had the best luck at competitions nor are we a team consisting of geniuses, but we are hard-working and passionate about science.
“In the end, that’s all the club is really about: having the curiosity to pursue and understand science and thus the world around us.”
Soneji feels good about passing the torch, as she trusts Wilson’s ability to continue to harbor that atmosphere.
“I am confident in Kalen’s ability to take on the responsibility and continue the traditions we established this season,” Soneji said.
Added Wilson: “If you’re someone who works well in a team and enjoys some nerdy Jeopardy-style trivia, give Science Bowl a try.”