Roosevelt leads regional Science Bowl

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 18, 2003) — A team of students from Roosevelt Middle School in River Forest took the top spot in the academic contest portion of the 2003 Chicago Regional Middle School Science Bowl, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory.

Second place went to Madison Junior High School, Naperville, and third place was won by Jerling Junior High School, Orland Park.

The second portion of the Science Bowl will be a Solar Car Competition held Saturday, May 3, at CNH in Burr Ridge.

The goal of the Science Bowl is to encourage student involvement in math and science activities. The team with the best combined score from both contests will represent the region at the national Science Bowl competition in Golden, Colo., June 25-28. To be eligible for the national competition, teams must consist of four students from one school with one or two coaches. Teams of four home-school students, ages 11-14, also are eligible.

In the academic competition, students competed in a fast-paced, quiz-show style, head-to-head competition which included round-robin and double-elimination components.

13th annual solar car competition

Argonne and the Department of Energy along with CNH, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Society of Automotive Engineering will sponsor the solar car portion of the science bowl.

The competition requires students to use aerodynamics, applied science and engineering skills to build solar-powered model cars. Developing a successful design requires experimentation, teamwork and organization.

All participating teams will use a standard solar car kit consisting of a solar cell and motor. Cars are restricted to about shoebox size and must be powered entirely by the sun. The race will be run in heats until the top-performing cars are determined.

Prizes will be awarded to top-performing cars. In addition, design awards will be given based on technology, craftsmanship, appearance of the car and a working knowledge of the car's design.

Schools participating in the regional Science Bowl are:

• Cardinal Bernardin Catholic School, Orland Hills
• Jefferson Junior High School, Woodridge
• Jerling Junior High School, Orland Park
• Kingswood Academy, Darien
• Madison Junior High School, Naperville
• Roosevelt Middle School, River Forest
• Yorkville Middle School, Yorkville

For more information visit the website at www.dep.anl.gov/science-bowl.

The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is operated by the University of Chicago as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratory system.

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.