JFK Biology Competes In USA Biolympiad

Phot by Enna Penglin | JFK Biology relishes after taking the Open Exam.

On Feb. 4th, JFK Biology club took on the USA Biolympiad Open Exam, a trivia competition that quizzes competitors on everything that encompasses Biology. That includes subjects like molecular biology, anatomy and physiology, ecology, etc. It took place in Room 118, the computer lab, where the testing period lasted for an hour during the third block.

Registration started all the way back in October, where sixteen participants signed up and paid a school registration fee.

“I have been thinking of entering into USABO ever since the last school year, but since Biology Club was new, approaching it this year would be the better idea since the club would feel more established,” said Khanh Do (12), President of Biology Club.

Before the date of the open exam, the club gets together several times to study for the competition. There were meetings in the room of Enna Penglin, biology teacher, during lunch and also within the library. As the date of the open exam approached, a mock exam was held at Suju’s that simulates the same conditions as the real exam.

“I took USABO because I wanted to challenge myself beyond AP Biology and learn more about genetics and physiology on a deeper level. It was also more for the experience, I am a senior and wanted to just try out something new,” said Tanvi Sheth (12).

The exam spans fifty minutes for fifty questions, so the pacing was 1 minute for every 1 question. This could prove to be difficult, as many questions covered obscure and esoteric biology content or heavy critical thinking skills.

Many technical issues occurred during the exam, as some participants could not log into their account. Some images within the questions loaded improperly which made it impossible to answer those questions. A more careful attempt at typing out usernames and passwords troubleshooted the account issue, yet the images not loading had to be tolerated.

Surya Shanmugan (11) has never done a competition like USABO before with biology being the main focus, as there were usually only  math competitions available. Shanmugan had a fun time because she really liked biology.

“I’d probably spend more time reviewing material… It was harder than I thought it would be,” said Shanmugan.

With the help of Dr. Ronaldo Fisher and Penglin, Room 118, the computer lab was secured for the purpose that the computers would be available for usage during the open exam. Penglin would proctor the whole exam during Third Block, and the students were released right on time as the bell for Fourth Block rings.

Results will be out February 23rd, where the top 30% scorers will receive a Certificate of Merit , top 20% will receive an Honorable Mention Certificate, while the top 10% will advance onto the Semifinal in March.

“The best part was going to the study sessions with my friends,” remarked Sabine Bhullar (9).