2015 marks the inaugural year of SJHHS students competing in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) based academic program and competition. The program better prepares students for careers in ocean-science as well as other STEM careers by introducing them to oceanography and engaging them in competition.

The NOSB focuses on oceanography since it plays a vital role in the development of the scientific workforce as well as human life. According to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl website, “humans rely on a healthy ocean for oxygen, resources, jobs, and more. Our future leaders must be knowledgeable about ocean issues…[and] working in the ocean environment poses challenges that push the innovation, engineering, and technology development needed in our workforce.”

The NOSB program hosts regional competitions every February that allow teams of students to test their knowledge of the sciences. This past February, Jeanne Perez (12), Aidan Christopher (12), Evan Morgan (12), Hayley Curtis (11), Tabitha Hayworth (11), and Sophia Faulkner (11) joined the competition under the guidance of Mrs. Miyamoto.

The team traveled to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California to compete in a quick-response competition for the first time.

“It was really cool to be at JPL and it was like being on Jeopardy, buzzing in to answer questions and such,” said Perez

For their first time in the competition, the team felt they did fairly well.

“I felt we did pretty well because we made it to the double elimination round, which is pretty impressive considering our lack of experience in the competition,” said Perez, “the people on my team made it so fun and we worked well together. We weren’t as stressed as we thought we would be; we just enjoyed ourselves.”

“I had a great time,” Christopher adds, “my teammates did really well, and it was a really great learning experience and it was just a lot of fun.”

To participate in the competition, students can join the Ocean Sciences Bowl club on campus. In preparation, the team studies a curriculum provided by the NOSB.

“It would benefit you to be in either AP Biology or AP Chemistry,” said Christopher.