Takoma Park Middle School Makes the Grade in National Science Bowl

Takoma Park Middle School placed second in the 2013 National Science Bowl held in Washington, D.C., bringing home a cash prize for its science department and a personal best in the competition.

The National Science Bowl is an annual academic competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science and is focused on science and technology. This year, 46 of the 1,023 middle school teams that competed at regional competitions advanced to the national finals, according to a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science press release. 

For the academic competition, each school has a team comprised of four or five students that compete in a rapid question-and-answer format, which tests them on a range of subjects including biology, chemistry, astronomy, etc., according to a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science press release.

Takoma Park Middle School’s Science Bowl consisted of John Lathrop, 13; David Wu, 13; Noah Singer, 13; Anish Senapati, 12; and Elliot Kienzle, 13. There are 13 members in total on the school’s team but these five were the ones who won the regional competition, according to Rebecca Epling, the team’s sponsor.

The students were “very excited” with how high they placed, since it is the highest the school has ever placed in the six years that it's been in the competition, but they were a bit “disappointed” they lost in the final round, according to Epling. 

The team practiced the high school competition questions in order to prepare for the vigorous competition, according to Singer.

Their opponents in the final round were Creekside Middle School, from Carmel, IN, which Takoma Park had faced twice before in the competition, both winning and losing to them.  

One of the team’s strength was its willingness to "work cooperatively” and there is not “one star overall” as in past years, according to Epling.  

The top eight middle schools receive $1,000 for their schools' science departments. Even though Takoma Park Middle School had placed in the final eight, the team members were unaware of this prize and said they thought it was “cool” they had been able to win something for their school.

The National Science Bowl was held from April 25-April 29 and also included an electric car competition in which Takoma Park Middle School placed seventh.