New Mexico's Top "Intelletes" Vie for for Science Olympiad Honors

by George Zamora

(Note: for a schedule of events on Science Olympiad day, see the schedule in pdf format. Room numbers will be available on the day of the event, at Macey Center.)

SOCORRO, N.M. February 13, 2003 -- Nearly 800 student "intelletes" representing 23 middle schools and 29 high schools from throughout New Mexico will tax their knowledge and motor skills in 44 spirited academic contests at the 17th annual New Mexico Science Olympiad on Saturday, February 22, on the New Mexico Tech campus.

Teams of Science Olympians will drop raw eggs from tall buildings, launch rockets powered by compressed air and water, build Rube Goldberg contraptions, and construct efficient boomilevers, bridges, and robots in a quest for Olympic-style medals and the chance to be among the two top teams that will represent New Mexico at the National Science Olympiad, being held May 10 at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Science Olympiad is a nationwide program that uses tournament competition as a means to challenge and motivate science students in their academic pursuits. The competition requires teamwork, cooperation, planning, and months of practice, providing students with a working knowledge of facts, concepts, and processes, as well as helping them develop thinking skills through practical applications of science and engineering.