Maui High to Defend Science Bowl Title

Maui High School will return to defend their 2014 Championship title at the at 22nd Annual Hawai’i Science Bowl on Jan. 31.

By Maui Now Staff

The state’s best and brightest science students will meet on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, for the 22^nd Annual Hawai‘i Science Bowl to compete in a head-to-head, Jeopardy-style competition.

Last year’s champions, Maui High School, will be returning to defend their title.

The event will be held at the Honolulu Community College from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will test participants on a range of subjects including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy, and math.

Twenty teams from 14 high schools will challenge one another in the event for a chance to represent their school and state in the National Science Bowl competition from April 30 to May 4, 2015, in Washington D.C.

“Months and hours of studying comes down to this very exciting day where our state’s most elite science and math students gather for this intense yet friendly competition,” said Steve Golden, president of the Hawai‘i Science Bowl executive committee. “The hard work and dedication of the students and their coaches are truly on display and showcases how this program provides these students the opportunity to develop valuable life skills that ultimately contribute to their overall development and long-term success as individuals.”

Blaine Saito, a former Hawai‘i Science Bowl participant from Punahou School and Harvard Law School graduate, will give the opening remarks at 8 a.m.

Then the round-robin competition will begin with teams from each school consisting of four students and one alternate. The teams are coached by advisers who are often math or science teachers volunteering their time to support the students.

Eight schools will be selected for the quarterfinals beginning at noon, but only one school will claim victory after the final round starting at 1:30 p.m. An awards presentation will follow at 2 p.m.

The winning team will represent Hawai‘i in Washington, D.C. for the National Science Bowl, the largest and most prestigious high school science competition in the nation. Over 14,000 students from all over the country compete in the event each year. The runner-up team will win an educational trip to study science-based sites throughout Hawai‘i. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top eight teams, ranging from $100 to $500 to support the school’s math or science department.

Fifty-four high schools and over 2,200 students within the state have participated in the Hawai‘i Science Bowl since it began. The competition’s alumni include numerous presidential scholars, graduates of MIT, Harvard, California Institute of Technology, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon.