Mississippi Science Olympiad Set for March 28 at Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss.  - Middle and high school students from across the state will be tested on their knowledge of science at the Mississippi Science Olympiad, a statewide science competition hosted by The University of Southern Mississippi on Friday, March 28.

About 350 students will participate in the competition, set for Friday, March 28 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center, the Walker Science Building and the Payne Center. An awards ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. Students in grades 6-12 will compete in individual and team events modeled after popular board games, sports and television shows.

In Crave the Wave, students will answer questions about sound waves, including those created by earthquakes. Scientific principles will be required for other events, like with the Robo-Cross, where students build robots and use them to perform tasks. In Science Crimebusters, students use DNA, blood samples and other clues to solve a "crime" based on a story.

Students prepare all year for the MSO by participating in classroom activities, scientific research and after-school training clubs.

The Mississippi Science Olympiad is organized by the Southern Miss Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME), under the College of Science and Technology. CSME also sponsors the Region I Science and Engineering Fair each year.

The event is inspired by the National Science Olympiad, which began in 1983 to encourage scientific interest and education among students and teachers. Similar science olympiads are held in 48 states and Ontario, Canada.

For more information on the MSO, online visit http://www.usm.edu/outreach/mso.html; for information on the national Science Olympiad, visit http://www.soinc.org. Information for the Center for Science and Mathematics Education can be found at http://www.usm.edu/csme.