N. Hollywood Students Cram for Science Bowl

The big brains at North Hollywood High School have science on their minds as a team of 10 students prepares to defend its championship title Saturday in the prestigious regional Science Bowl at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters downtown.

Last year North Hollywood teams placed first and third in the regional, DWP-sponsored competition. The school placed second in the national contest.

Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley won second place last year, and is one of North Hollywood’s main competitors, along with former national science bowl champions Van Nuys and Venice high schools.

Thirty Los Angeles public, parochial and private high schools--half from the Valley--will compete Saturday in a fast-paced, game show format. Students with buzzers will answer questions on biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, astronomy, trigonometry, earth and physical sciences, computer programming and related current events.

The final round will be moderated by Bill Nye of a children’s science program carried on the Public Broadcasting Service.

Overall, 48 teams, or 240 students, will compete in the L.A. regionals.

The winning team will travel to Washington to compete April 30 to May 3 in the National Science Bowl, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Team members also get $1,000 scholarships and their school receives $1,000 toward the purchase of science equipment or materials.

Additional prizes for second- to fourth-place teams range from $400 to $800 in materials or equipment for the schools.

“Valley schools have always done well in the science bowl,” said Walter Zeisl, a DWP spokesman.

Zeisl added that the Los Angeles regional competition “has had the most success of any region in the nation.”

Science teacher Koh Ikeda estimated the students have spent more than 100 hours preparing and reading such publications as Scientific American and Discover as well as college textbooks in chemistry, physics and biology.

“In L.A., the competition is fierce,” Ikeda said. “They’ve really been working hard. They’re also having fun getting to know each other.”