There aren’t many people in this world who can say they’ve felt like a contestant on Jeopardy. There’s the pressure of being on stage, the rush to hit the buzzer and the joy of answering a complicated question correctly. For members of Science Knowledge Bowl, these feelings are simply routine. In fact, members of Science Knowledge Bowl have these feelings at every meeting on Thursdays after school, where they prepare and practice for the upcoming regional competition held on March 4.

   “Science Knowledge Bowl is a national competition put on by a variety of sponsors that brings schools together to compete in the core areas of science, like chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and computer sciences,” sponsor Stuart Jorgensen said. “Because one of our sponsors is Honeywell, we do energy as well. The Department of Energy kind of helps put this program together. It’s random science and trivia facts, so two teams of four go head to head in rapid fire buzzer bonus questions.”

   Many students expressed interest this year, but only 15 students will be able to compete.

   “Three teams with five students on each will be sent to the regional competition this year,” junior Owen Wohler said.

   An upcoming competition means the preparation begins now. Some members of Science Knowledge Bowl set their performance goals high in hopes of becoming the top team for Missouri and advancing to the national competition in Washington D.C.

   “We will be practicing for the month of February,” junior Heather Shipley said. “We go compete against other Science Knowledge Bowl teams and the winners get to move on to a higher level of competition.”

   There are no special qualifications necessary to be a member of Science Knowledge Bowl, but many members have a particular area of science in which they excel that allows them to bring a unique force to their team. That being said, new members with a particular expertise are welcomed with open arms.

   “My favorite category to answer questions in is math because that’s my best category,” Wohler said. “I’m really looking forward to all of the newcomers this year who are sophomores now because every year we start seeing everyone come in and it’s interesting to see all of the new kids and what they’re really good at.”

   The questions aren’t necessarily common knowledge. Competitors have to be prepared for anything.

   “You learn a lot because the questions aren’t just about what you’ve learned in school, there are things like astronomy which is cool,” senior Isaac Leff said.

   Even the sponsors, the science experts, learn new science facts from the practice rounds.

   “Because it’s such a wide variety of topics, it’s like, ‘oh I didn’t know that about that biology term,’” Jorgensen said. “You learn something every time you have a practice. Then there’s that one moment where you know the answer and you’re like, ‘yes I knew the answer’ and you feel super smart.”

   Being in the competition isn’t all fun and games. There is an element of pressure and stress that brings additional intensity to the competition.

     “It’s nerve wracking. There’s a lot of stuff, it’s stressful,” Leff said. “I guess I’d say working together as a team is the hardest part because many of you might think you know the answer but not everyone is right. You kind of have to know the dynamics amongst your team.”

   Hesitating to hit the buzzer is something that beginners tend to struggle with. There is a lack of confidence initially that has to be overcome before it’s time to compete.

   “The hardest part is getting over the fear of buzzing in,” Shipley said. “Even if you’re wrong, you’ve just gotta buzz.”

   Although becoming the top team is ideal, members of Science Knowledge Bowl feel lucky just to be able to participate and are ready to make the most out of the experience.

   “I just hope to do better than I did last year,” Leff said. “I don’t really have any high expectations, I just want to have fun. I’ve got a team, so it will be a good time.”