279 REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD WILL DRAW AREA MIDDLE, HIGH SCHOOLS TO MTSU

Release date: Feb. 21, 2007


Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Regional Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085



FEB. 24 REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD WILL DRAW
AREA MIDDLE, HIGH SCHOOLS TO MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — About 400 middle and high school students will be competing in the annual Regional Science Olympiad Saturday, Feb. 24, at a variety of campus sites, event Director Pat Patterson said recently.
Patterson added that 14 middle schools (Division B) and 13 high schools (Division C) would have teams entered.
Middle schools entering teams include: E.A. Cox of Columbia; Friendship Christian School Teams A, B and C, of Lebanon; Nashville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, Montgomery Bell Academy Team A, St. Ann School, St. Bernard
Academy and St. Pius X School; Murfreesboro’s St. Rose of Lima and
Siegel; and Smyrna Middle, Stewarts Creek and Thurman Francis Arts Academy.
High school teams entered include: Cannon County of Woodbury; Franklin; Friendship Christian of Lebanon; Nashville’s Harpeth Hall, Hume-Fogg Academy,
Martin Luther King and MBA Teams A and B; Murfreesboro’s Oakland, Riverdale and Siegel Teams A and B; and Smyrna.
“We want all kids exposed to Science Olympiad,” she said. “We need to show it’s for all kids.”
Patterson, associate professor in chemistry, said she was excited to learn that Nashville’s Hume-Fogg and Martin Luther King would be sending high school teams.
“They are two Tennessee high schools in the top 50 in the country,” she said. “I’m excited that we will have that type of competition. Hume-Fogg not only signed up, but they signed up to win.”
WKRN Channel 2 meteorologists Jeff Ray and Justin Bruce, UT-Martin faculty members Cahit Erkal and Lily Linghong, Tennessee Valley Authority employees Bo Baxter and Pat Cox and Bruce Ross of Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department will be non-MTSU coordinators of events.
“We have friends that support Science Olympiad,” Patterson said. “Some are teachers at middle or high schools that are not competing, but they are volunteering and hopefully will compete next year.”
Nearly 80 MTSU faculty and students will assist, she said. Some 40 MTSU faculty and 30 to 40 students either will coordinate the combined 46 events or help in other ways, said Patterson, who added that most will come from the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, but other colleges and departments will assist.
“The Regional Science Olympiad will be bigger than ever,” Patterson said. “The MTSU support is greater. We’re tapping into some new folks, plus we have some of our regular coordinators. Faculty from nine of the 10 departments in College of Basic and Applied Sciences are helping, and that’s wonderful. It’s one of the biggest colleges on campus.”
Patterson said four high-school teams and two middle schools will advance to the state competition Saturday, March 31, at the University of ‘Tennessee in Knoxville. The national Science Olympiad will be held May 18-19 in Wichita, Kan.
Sponsors in 2007 include State Farm Insurance Companies ($3,600 donation), ARAMARK, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and the College of Basic & Applied Sciences.

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