FHHS ORCA Bowl Regional winners compete at “Nationals”
Posted May 29, 2015 at 5:55 am by Tim Dustrude
L to R: Teacher Jesse Visciglia, Sam Stewart, Max Haenel, Courtney Bell, Corbin Williams, and Club Advisor Derek Smith – Contributed photo
Each year, high school students from Washington State come together to compete at the Orca Bowl, Washington’s regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.
According to its website, “Orca Bowl challenges and recognizes Washington State’s high school students’ knowledge of the world’s oceans. During the daylong competition, hosted at the University of Washington Seattle campus, teams compete in a round-robin tournament followed by a double elimination round. Students tackle questions in all areas of marine studies, including ocean-related physics, chemistry, geology, biology, social sciences, and technology”
The competition is a long day where up to 20 teams compete from around the state. Questions are multiple-choice, short-answer, and team-challenge formats that require strong problem-solving skills and cooperation.
The winning team is eligible to participate in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl finals held in April, and competes against winning teams from 25 regions around the country.
This year’s Friday Harbor High School Orca Bowl team members included Courtney Bell, Max Haenel, Sam Stewart, and Corbin Williams. Through hard work and dedication the Friday Harbor High School team won regionals in Seattle.
Nationals were held in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on April 23-26. FHHS students came in 18th overall, but most notable, finished 3rd in a very challenging aspect of the competition known as the Science Expert Briefing (SEB). The SEB involves students assuming the roles and interests of various stakeholders in the drafting of a piece of federal marine legislation.
Club Advisor and Science Teacher Jesse Visciglia said “The Friday Harbor High School Ocean Sciences Bowl (Orca Bowl) team represents San Juan Island at its best. With knowledge, skill, and grace these students have proven once again that Friday Harbor students can compete with the best in the country.”
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