You don’t have to be Einstein to know that when a group of science-minded Salesians come together to compete, victory is in store. On March 3, the Salesianum Science Olympiad team competed in the annual Delaware State Science Tournament against nearly sixty different schools. While the first place prize was *just* out of reach, the boys did not come home empty handed. Medaling in four different events, the Sallies Science Squad contended fiercely against the competition, proving that the real brains lay in the brotherhood.

Of course, this phenomenal performance didn’t happen overnight. Over weeks of rigorous preparation, the team honed their skills to the point of perfection. From studying endlessly from textbooks to constructing experiments, come contest time, they were ready to show their stuff. “It was a pretty high energy experience,” remarked freshman Olympian Matt Carr. “Everyone was ready to show what they learned and show off what they built.” Right from the get-go, the Olympiad was ready to bring the bling back to 18th and Broom.

At the tournament on March 3, there was a vast variety of events, ranging from anatomy to engineering, chemistry to physics. Some notable events boded well for the Salesian brothers, especially the Tower Task, a physics challenge in which the teams had to create a stable tower out of thin wooden slabs. While seemingly difficult, freshman Olympians Sean Dempsey and James Edwards pulled off this event without a hitch. “Our tower held the maximum weight,” commented Sean, “and it wasn’t anywhere near breaking, which we were really glad about.” James and Sean ended up placing eleventh out of sixty teams, a remarkable feat for the freshman Olympians. This just goes to show that through focus, hard work, and determination, this Olympiad team reached new heights.

At the end of the competition, while the Sallies Science Squad didn’t take the first place trophy, they took away the remarkable experience of competing alongside fellow Salesians, as well as be engrossed in subjects that they’re passionate about. When asked if there was anything that his group could have done better, Matt Carr commented, “We, Nathan [Kopanski], my parter, and Gabe Torres, my other partner, and I waited til the last minute to start studying, so if we started earlier, I’m sure we could have done much better. But as a freshman, I think it was good to get my feet wet and see what the Science Olympiad was all about at a high school level.”

All of the after-school practices in Ms. Albanese’s room, seniors helping freshman, demonstrates that the brotherhood that all Salesian gentlemen know so well played such an active role in the Science Olympiad season. Both Sean and Matt agree that they would definitely participate in Science Olympiad again next year. Sean stated that, “Without a doubt, I met lots of interesting people who share the same interests, many who I wouldn’t have met if not for the Olympiad.” All in all, the Salesianum Science Olympiad had a phenomenal season, and through all of their hard work and energy, they really went out with a Big Bang!