About 400 middle school and high school students from 20 schools in southwest New Mexico will compete during the Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Western New Mexico University on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.
The Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Competition opens with a ceremony in the Fine Arts Center Theatre at 8:30. The competitive action runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in the Fine Arts Center Theatre at 4 p.m.
All 46 of the events are held on campus. Some take place in the Intramural Gym and others occur in Harlan Hall and the Phelps/Dodge-Martinez building. “The active events in the gym are likely to be the most interesting, and the public is invited to spectate at any of them,” Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Tournament Director Eric Casler said.
The Science Olympiad teams compete in categories such as Life, Personal and Social Science; Earth and Space Science; Physical Science and Chemistry; Technology and Engineering; and Inquiry and Nature of Science. The individual events have names like Hovercraft, Towers, Wright Stuff, Battery Buggy, Helicopters, Mousetrap Vehicle, Mystery Architecture and Roller Coaster.
“This is part of a nationwide competition. The top teams from here will progress to the state tournament, and likewise to national,” Casler said.