On February 1, 2025, NHP students participated in the annual Nassau West Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Kellenberg High School. The club, as advised by Mr. Freiberg, sent three teams to the event who competed in a variety of different events.
The teams consisted of sophomores, juniors and seniors who competed in the four types of events: core knowledge, build, laboratory/hands-on and hybrid event. The core knowledge events required participants to take a test. The build events required participants to build an object, before the tournament. The hands-on events required participants to complete a task, on the day of the event. Meanwhile, the hybrid events combined the multiple elements of the other events.
The team prepared extensively before the event by hosting meetings at least once a week and working within their groups to ensure that their teams were adequately prepared. This was important, as students were challenged in each event due to the high level materials within the events.
“Preparing for the Science Olympiad event wasn’t easy. The club would try to meet once a week. However, Science Olympiad’s main aspect was its environment full of ambitious and committed students, which ultimately led to New Hyde Park placing in multiple events and making the overall experience enjoyable,” sophomore Yashvi Gupta said.
Although the preparations could have been stressful, many students believed that this club provided a wonderful atmosphere to learn more about science and collaborate with their friends.
“Science Olympiads aren’t exams to be stressed about, but rather events to compete in with your friends to have fun! I’d definitely recommend it to people who are interested in science and want to get involved in clubs,” sophomore Elina Jacob said.
“I love how the Science Olympiad allows me to explore other topics in science that I can’t learn in class. I’ll miss the collaborative and motivating environment it provides,” President Clayton Yu said. “Science Olympiad isn’t all about competition, but is an awesome opportunity to collaborate with other students and further interests in science.”
The New Hyde Park team ended up placing within the top eight in seven events. Many students enjoyed learning about new topics they wouldn’t typically be exposed to in their normal science classes. The events that the three NHP teams medaled in are as follows:
Disease Detectives • First Place
Chemistry Lab • Second, Fourth and Eighth Place
Anatomy & Physiology • Seventh Place
Optics • Seventh Place
Experimental Design • Eighth Place
“The Science Olympiad competition was a fun and unique experience where I could spend time with others who have similar interests,” junior Abigail Chung said. “It’s a good learning experience for future science-related competitions. I had a good time preparing with my partner.”
Mr. Freiberg described how the day of the event went, describing the schedule of the day, and how several students participated in multiple activities.
“My job is to make sure students feel prepared for their events and know the layout of the competition day. It can get a little hectic since events run so close together. The day of the event starts bright and early at 7:30 a.m.,” adviser Mr. Freiberg said. “Students jumped from room to room competing in their assigned events.”
The Science Olympiad aims to be a club where students deepen their passion for science while developing critical skills alongside their friends.
