WILKES-BARRE — Maybe it’s in the genes.
Eighth-grader Paige Parsons talks like an aeronautics engineer when she describes the ping-pong ball launcher that won her first place in the Regional Science Olympiad “air trajectory” contest. Younger sister Grace sounds like a mechanical whiz explaining adaptations to the Rube Goldberg-esque gizmo that nabbed first place in the “mission possible” category.
Or maybe it’s in the school.
Little Wilkes-Barre Academy, where sole science teacher Dana Robasky typically gets to select the Science Olympiad team from about 45 students, managed to take the team title at this year’s competition, outperforming prestige institutions like Wyoming Seminary and MMI Prep, and much larger opponents like Hazleton Area School District.
“They started training in September,” Robasky said as the team worked on their various competitions Tuesday during a time they should have been relaxing after 3 p.m. “They work Saturdays, they work Sundays, they work snow days.”
And the work didn’t end with a team title at the regional event March 9 at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus. Grace Parsons had won the “mission possible” event by designing a mechanism that began with the drop of a ball which transferred that motion through multiple simple machines like pulleys and levers until a smaller ball fell and hit a bell. The trick was to make it last as close to 60 seconds as possible.
Basically, she nailed it. But the state event requires her to modify the machine so she can change the duration, from 61 seconds to 90 seconds, not knowing the exact goal until it’s nearly time to make it happen. Grace and her classmate team considered removable ramps at the end of the sequence to extend the time the last ball rolls, but that was too imprecise.
So they developed a sophisticated system adding a see-saw with sand in cups on both ends. The starter ball triggers the sand in a funnel to fall into one side until it trips, launching the rest of the sequence. The amount of sand in the other see-saw cup and in the funnel can determine the length of time it takes to ring the bell.
Emily Duras, grade 8, actually learned to weld for her event, “scrambler.” Her team built a “car” with a bracket in front where an egg is placed during competition. The goal: Design a mechanical propulsion and braking system you can adjust to make the car go in a straight line for a precise distance, stopping as close to a wall without breaking the egg.
Most teams do this with a wooden frame holding pulleys and weights that trigger something to push the car into action. Duras welded small square rods together, making the launcher substantially more stable. “My dad taught me to weld,” she said matter-of-factly, oblivious to gender roles. “I really enjoy it.”
Unfortunately, welding also made it a bit harder to re-set the launch stand when she saw the vehicle veer slowly to the right at the regional event. But she has fixed that and other issues for the states.
In every category, from building a model bridge or glider to complex mapping techniques (all by hand and ruler, no GPS allowed) these students seem whip smart and focused — at least until you ask what they want to be when they grow up.
“Ummmm …” Paige Parsons paused after having expertly explained the complexities of her “air trajectory” machine, designed to use nothing but weight and angle to shoot a ping-pong ball through a PVC pipe to a precise distance that, like the time for mission possible, remains unknown until shortly before the competition.
They are also modest. Asked if she’ll win the state event, Paige beamed a disarming smile, glanced up, and offered the opposite of trash talk.
“Hopefully!”
Seventh-grader Grace Parsons, of Bear Creek, explains the “mission possible” device she and teammates at Wilkes-Barre Academy are modifying for the state Science Olympiad Competition. The team took first place with their project at the regional event March 9.
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Seventh-grader Grace Parsons, of Bear Creek, explains the “mission possible” device she and teammates at Wilkes-Barre Academy are modifying for the state Science Olympiad Competition. The team took first place with their project at the regional event March 9.
Seventh-graders Zahra Chittalia, 12, of Mountain Top, left, and Shailee Desai, 12, of Shavertown, work on a model bridge that must meet specific design parameters and withstand a certain load to win the Science Olympiad bridge building competition. Their team, from Wilkes-Barre Academy, won the regional team title event.
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Seventh-graders Zahra Chittalia, 12, of Mountain Top, left, and Shailee Desai, 12, of Shavertown, work on a model bridge that must meet specific design parameters and withstand a certain load to win the Science Olympiad bridge building competition. Their team, from Wilkes-Barre Academy, won the regional team title event.
“Build” events such as “mission possible” and “bottle Rocket” typically get the most attention at Science Olympiad competitions, but paper and computer events are just as challenging. Here Lydia McFarlane, 13, of Wilkes-Barre, left, trains for the “roads scholar” mapping challenge with Emily Urbanski, 14, of Mountain Top, at Wilkes-Barre Academy on Tuesday.
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“Build” events such as “mission possible” and “bottle Rocket” typically get the most attention at Science Olympiad competitions, but paper and computer events are just as challenging. Here Lydia McFarlane, 13, of Wilkes-Barre, left, trains for the “roads scholar” mapping challenge with Emily Urbanski, 14, of Mountain Top, at Wilkes-Barre Academy on Tuesday.
Team beats out teams from much larger schools
By Mark Guydish
mguydish@timesleader.com
Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish