Middle School Students Compete in Quiz Bowl

February 6, 2024

For the second straight year, Sayville Middle School was chosen to have a team compete in the Brookhaven National Lab Quiz Bowl. 

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the annual event welcomes approximately 30,000 students from across the country to compete in their home regions. Sayville’s region consisted of teams from New York City to the eastern edge of Long Island and was held on February 1.

The competition is set up like an academic game show where the teams buzz in to answer questions and earn points. Following the first round, teams compete against each other in a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) challenge to solve a series of puzzles in the fastest time.

Beyond the competition, students were given the valuable experience of speaking with and learning from some of the nation’s leading scientists, who were happy to show their work to the visiting students. Scientists had demonstrations prepared to show off their work on topics that included; computer science, energy production, particle physics, astronomy, disease research, and nano-material research.

The students were also treated to a brief tour of the Brookhaven National Lab campus that included a visit inside National Synchrotron Light Source II. The NSLS II is a state-of-the art facility that is able to produce ultra stable beams of light that are essential for a wide range of research. Students learned that the facility can be used for developing materials for batteries, examining paintings done by Rembrandt, developing mRNA medicine, structural biology, and the development of micro-electronic components. The opportunity to visit the newest and most advanced of this type of facility could only be done at BNL. 

The competition is always very tough and the students from Sayville performed very well in the quiz bowl. In the first round, the team; Eric Dong, Samantha Graziano, Angela Liselli, Chris Powers, & Alexa Yacono, were able to win three out of four of their matches. They were also able to come in second place overall in the S.T.E.M. challenge.

Mr. Goodman & Mrs. Loscalzo helped to coach and prepare the team for these very challenging competitions. Both coaches were thrilled with the results and were so proud of their effort and the exceptional outcomes the team accomplished. The experience students had speaking with leaders in the field could not have been possible without the support of Brookhaven National Lab and the Department of energy.