“It just felt right to make a team here, especially with all the talent we have here when it comes to the sciences,” stated the president and founder of the new Science Olympiad Team, Raphael Orcino.
As the third quarter began, both Raphael Orcino, a sophomore student at Malden High, and chemistry teacher John Frigo teamed up to create Malden High School’s first-ever Science Olympiad Team. They decided to create this club because of the lack of science-based teams at Malden High. With Orcino recently attending the school, he saw “the positive impact of participating in my first science olympiad at my old high school.” He felt that its impact was an important addition to the Malden community.
This new club is part of a nationwide organization (Science Olympiad) which is dedicated to producing competitive team tournaments in STEM subjects. Their overarching goal for these competitions is to “increase a student's interest in STEM fields and provide recognition for outstanding achievement in team events” which correlates with Orcino’s goals for the club. He hopes members of the team will “use this club to go further in what they love in the sciences and see if they like the competitive side of science” as members of the team have the opportunity to compete at regional, state, and national levels while expanding their knowledge on their preferred topics.
The upcoming tournament for the state of Massachusetts is expected to be held on March 2nd at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. Although the event is almost 2 weeks away, Orcino stresses the importance of hosting as many club meetings before the tournament and signing up for the team as soon as possible as there is a maximum of 15 members for the team. The organization wants to help students explore their interests in STEM topics so the competition allows its members to partake in an abundance of events designed around the topics of Astronomy, Forensics, Experimental Design, and many other science-related topics.
Team advisor, Mr. Frigo showcased his excitement for the new team as he believes that it “is a great opportunity for us to go and compete against other high schools in our state… and hopefully win a couple of things.”
Although the date for the club's first meeting is unknown, expect constant updates from the team's Instagram (@maldenhigh_scioly) or the team's Remind (maldenteam). If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding the club, feel free to DM the Instagram account.
