By Paige Galloway

The start of the new school year is composed of the beginnings of many activities and many new opportunities for students to utilize; one of these great chances is Science Club. On Thursday, September 22, 2011, the first Science Club meeting of the year will be held in Mr. Levin’s room after school at 2:30. Participants in Science Club are able to partake in various competitions that have to do with science; these being Science Olympiad, Science Bowl and Envirothon. Members of the club have the ability to do their part and help the environment by recycling and also to promote the idea of saving the environment to people who do not attend the meetings.
Science Olympiad occurs in February and is made up of different events, all involving an element of science. Each school breaks up their students into groups of two or three in order for them to do an event. For each event, you take a type of test. For example, in astronomy you take a written test but you can bring a binder with information to help you and in forensics you do a number of hands on tests to try to analyze evidence. The goal is to try to competitively place in an event, but this does not happen very often. Basically the day is a time to enjoy the world of science and to help interest the people who participate in the various fields. In March a group of students competes in what is known as the Science Bowl. It follows a game-show like format; the students have to ring in to answer questions about different science topics. Experience helps in competitions such as these because it is easier to prepare for the questions, but newcomers will definitely enjoy the day.
The Regional Envirothon takes place in May. Teams of five people have to take tests on five different subjects: Wildlife, Aquatics, Forestry, Soils and Current Issues as well as do an oral presentation on a specific topic that changes every year. The oral presentation is based on environmental issues that occur in New York and each team has to come up with a solution to a specific problem discussed. Last year, the Galway Science Club team that went to the Envirothon won first place in our county, Saratoga. Hannah Smith, Jessica Demarest, Brandan Aschmutat, Emily Brown and I all got the opportunity to compete in the state level Envirothon in Geneva, NY. The team plans on making it again to States, but needs the support of other students to make that happen. Show your support and get involved by coming to the meeting on September 22, 2011.
Each year students are able to learn bits of information that have the potential to stick with them for the rest of their lives. Students appreciate the experiences they receive from the competitions and also the many memories they make as they continue to stay involved with Science Club. We have had loyal followers throughout the years, but unfortunately our numbers have started to dwindle because of the graduation of seniors in recent years. We need new members to join in order to keep our program going. “Science club is a great way to get involved, learn new things and have fun all at the same time. It is multi tasking at its best.” Jessica Demarest, a junior in her third year participating in Science C lub. Nikki Kupferman will be leaving us this year when she graduates but she also agrees: “Science Club is fun especially for kids who enjoy the projects and competitions.”