Even though perfection is impossible to reach, just like the stars above, excellence can be achieved as long as one has the desire to find it. True to these words, the Tenafly High School Science Olympiad team proved that no test is too difficult with its stellar performances at the Princeton and Columbia Invitationals this past month.
The team is composed of fifteen students, each representing the school with their respective events. This year, Tenafly’s very own Science Olympiad team attended a type of Science Olympiad competition called “Invitationals,” in which teams from around 50-60 different schools in the East Coast region are invited on college campuses to compete. These events, fully organized by the college and its students, are known to require rigorous preparation and hold college-level standards. So far, competing in the Cornell, Columbia, and Princeton Invitationals, the Science Olympiad team holds promise for future success.
This year’s season was more accomplished than ever before, with multiple Tenafly teams topping the rankings and making Tenafly history with Tenafly’s first ever Ivy League Competition wins. In the Princeton Science Olympiad, also known as PUSO, they secured an impressive 12th place overall amongst the competing 55 schools and brought Tenafly name recognition in the prestigious tournament. Their next event will be at Yale University on February 10, at which they aim to place top ten in the overall school ranking.
The Science Olympiad individual medalists are as follows: Derek Cho, Edmund Hod, Helen Hui, Andrew Lee, Kiran Muttiah, Kai Song, and Ganghyun (Tony) Yoo. “While participating in Science Olympiad undoubtedly fed my flames of passion for chemistry,” said Andrew Lee (’24), a third place medalist and co-president of the THS Science Olympiad team. “I often found that some of the most memorable moments of Science Olympiad was the time we spent outside of competition–whether it be getting food at college town or celebrating birthdays after finishing our events. Ultimately, these are the memories that stand out to me the most.” Lee reflected on the unity of the THS Science Olympiad team and that it is the memories made that matter in the end.
Furthermore, through this year’s Science Olympiad, many students have learned the various aspects of science and its unique qualities. As Kai Song (’24), a first place medalist, connected various fields of science, it’s possible to see more similarities between different studies. “I think science is special in that each field of study is not complete without the other,” Song said. “Sociology is applied psychology; psychology is applied biology; biology is applied chemistry; and chemistry is applied physics.”
Other students seem to agree with the benefits of participating in Science Olympiad. “Specifically in the world of Science Olympiad, science does have a right answer, and though it’s limiting in some ways, the process of spotting patterns in questions and recalling distant concepts and arriving at the right answer is so, so, so gratifying,” Helen Hui (’24), a third place medalist said.
For many students, Science Olympiad serves as solace from studying the broad topics in the school curriculum, and instead studying for one specific topic that one wants to pursue. For instance, Derek Cho (’24), a first place medalist and Science Olympiad co-president, describes how the topic of engineering has value in the field of science. “Engineering is all about creating, making, and doing with the foundational base of theory to solve today’s and tomorrow’s problems,” Cho said. As science is currently becoming more appreciated in the world of technology, it serves as a crucial field of study to learn.
In addition, Cho offered advice to students as a reminder to keep on trying despite various obstacles that may come in one’s way: “Reach for the Moon (first place); even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars (44th place).”
Good luck Tigers and congratulations on your laudable performance!
