Ben Ellis, Apoora Srivastava, and Jim Manning from AC Flora High School compete in the advanced division of the Science Quiz Bowl at the SC Junior Academy of Science (SCJAS).

The courses offered at the SCJAS Science Workshop weren’t your typical high school science classes. With topics ranging from robotics, to forensic science, to balloon races, it’s no wonder that high school students from across the state gave up their Saturday morning to attend the event at Spring Valley.

The workshop sponsored by The SC Junior Academy of Science (SCJAS), offered high schoolers an exciting spin on the usual science topics. The hands–on activities, demonstrations, lectures, and science quiz bowl were meant to foster “greater participation in science and mathematics.”

The students started off the day with a lecture on clinical chemistry and biomonitoring in SC. The keynote speaker was Dr. John Reddic, who taught students about the dangers of certain toxins in the environment, such as lead, and how DHEC responds and deals with these issues.

After listening to Dr. Reddic, students broke off into separate classes, where they participated in a variety of hands–on activities. There was something for everyone. Mechanical enthusiasts attended a robotics class, where a team from Blythewood high school presented and explained their custom–built machine. The Blythewood students spent an average of six days a week for several months building their robot, which they later entered in a robotics competition. The end result was a robot that could, among other things, lift and carry balls and race up and down the hallway.

Eric Coleman, attends the robotics class at the SC Junior Academy of Science. He also competed in the Speak of Science event. The workshop also offered a forensics class, where students learned the basics of crime scene investigation.

“The forensics class was my favorite part of the workshop,” said Amy Betenbaugh, a junior from AC Flora. “We learned about the different areas of forensics, made fingerprints, and identified their various characteristics.”

Meanwhile, other students were engaged in the Speaking of Science and Science Quiz Bowl Competitions. The first of these required students to give a brief lecture weighing the benefits of stem–cell research. The Quiz Bowl, on the other hand, pitted three–person teams from each high school against each other in a 15–minute round of science questioning. Competitors tried to be the first to buzz in on questions that included math, biology, physics, and chemistry problems.

Ella Soltz, a freshman from AC Flora who competed in the Novice Division, admitted to being a little nervous before the competition. The nerves didn’t seem to affect her thinking though, and her team advanced to the championship round before being beaten by Charleston Academic Magnet School.

“I loved the competition aspect of the workshop,” said Josie Bailey, Ella’s fellow teammate. “It tested your knowledge and showed you just how good you were.”