This article was originally published in Kaleidoscope‘s April 2025 print edition. It is being published as a separate online article now for easy access.

Ward Melville’s Science Bowl team has had a successful year so far. In January, they won the regional competition at Brookhaven National Laboratory, marking their third consecutive regional win. The team will advance to compete at the national competition in Washington D.C. from April 24-28.

The team was pleased by their win at Regionals, with member Anna Xing saying that their success “ultimately came down to a mix of both luck and collective effort.” When discussing preparation, all of the team members preached that practice is essential. Since they specialize in different fields such as physics, earth science and biology, captain Sean Skinner said that they have read through complete college textbooks to learn that field’s content to prepare.

However, they’ve gone above and beyond for the next level. Skinner said that to prepare for Nationals, they “practice the fast-paced buzzer questions with each other at club meetings” and do online competitions.

Another member, Gunes Sunar, described the importance of practicing in this manner. He said, “Since the questions can come from a variety of sources, I practice many types of science applications like notes, classes or science trivia.” Additionally, he mentioned that speed is “crucial” in competing at Nationals. Sunar claimed that he plans to “practice for this competition, exceeding as much as one could possibly imagine,” and that the heart of his preparation is “persistence, not motivation.”

Skinner spoke about the challenges that come with competing in such a fast-paced nature and the mindset of the members during competition, noting, “The questions are very much about speed and intuition, and you have to be willing to take risks. Competing with a microphone and a buzzer in a full auditorium looks stressful, but the only thing going through your head is finding the answer as quickly as possible and being the first to buzz. Sometimes that means making predictions and buzzing in an answer before they even finish reading the question.”

Although the competition seems nerve wracking, the team is thrilled. Skinner remarked, “We all feel really great about going to Nationals. This will be our third year in a row qualifying, and, based on our Regionals performance, it’s looking like it could go quite well. Last year, we made the top 24, which was a first for our team, so it’s really great to see our increased efforts paying off.”

Although Sunar is also looking forward to the competition, he said he wants to “save the excitement and joy for the eve of the day I get to Washington D.C. and focus on studying till the very end.” He also commented, “Whether my team wins or not, I’d still feel like a true winner if I have a focused mindset.”

The other members shared enthusiasm for Nationals, with Skinner saying he’s looking forward to meeting “like-minded people and visiting Washington D.C.,” and Xing stating that they are especially excited for “the opportunity to compete against teams from across the country and visit the National Mall in D.C.”