February 16, 2005

Columbus State University will host a regional competition for middle school students competing in Science Olympiad 2005 on Saturday, Feb. 19. Fifteen teams representing area schools will compete in events such as Robo-Billiards and Meteorology.'

Parents will not be left out though. During the Science Olympiad, parents of the competitors and other guests can participate in a CSU Admissions workshop Getting to College at 10 a.m. in the Davidson Auditorium. This free event will cover what parents need to know in helping their children prepare for college. For more information on this workshop, call 568-2035.

The Science Olympiad opens Saturday with registration at 7:30 a.m. in Howard 101 and closes with a 4:30 - 6 p.m. awards ceremony in the Lumpkin Center. Winning teams will qualify for the state finals to be held April 16 at Georgia State University. The national finals will be held May 20-21 at the University of Illinois.

Among the goals of the Science Olympiad is to elevate science education and learning to a level of enthusiasm and support that is normally reserved for varsity sports programs, said CSU Physics Professor Zodiac Webster, regional director of the Science Olympiad.

In Robo-Billiards , each team constructs a modified billiards ta ble and a radio-controlled robot that shoots the cue ball in a subsequent billiards competition. Meanwhile the Meteorology competition will test the students skills in analyzing and forecasting severe weather. This is very appropriate given the hurricanes and ice storm that affected us this year, said Webster.

Other competitions will include Science Crime Busters , and Bottle Rocket , Bridge building , Naked Egg Drop and Storm the Castle , which will all run continuously from 8a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

COMPETING MIDDLE SCHOOLS INCLUDE:
Arnold Magnet Academy
Blackmon Road
Double Churches
East Columbus Magnet Academy
Flint River Academy
Fort
J.C. Booth
Midland
Richards
Rothschild
Shiver School

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Contact: Zodiac Webster, 568-2332; E-mail: webster_zodiac@ColumbusState.edu