North Hollywood and Arcadia high schools place third and fourth in National Science Bowl competition
North Hollywood High School and Arcadia High School placed third and fourth, respectively, in the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl competition in Washington, D.C., organizers said Monday.
First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated the students over the weekend, telling them: “We want young people energized in the way that you all are, because we know that American brainpower in science and math has always driven this country’s prosperity, helping us make the discoveries and to build the industries that have transformed the way we live and work.”
The two teams of five high school students from the L.A. area answered tough questions, such as “Who was the Nobel Prize winner in physics?” in a specific year and “What is the greatest source of energy used in the U.S.?”
They also had to solve long math equations and show a range of understanding in such topics as physics, chemistry, earth science and astronomy.
The competition’s first- and second-place winners represented a North Carolina school and Mira Loma High School in Sacramento.
The L.A.-area students were proud of their showing in the competition, which involved 68 high schools from 42 states, said Walter Zeisl, coordinator of the Science Bowl sponsored by the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
“These kids are all excited,” he said. “Last year, North Hollywood came in sixth and didn’t make it to the trophy round.”
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