BY CONNOR McMANUS
“I found it ironic that, in a competition that emphasizes good planning, the coordinators thought it prudent to give a room full of several hundred nerds whistles, frisbees, and bright red lights,” recalls senior Wil Dietz.
You wouldn’t guess it, but Dietz is actually talking about an engineering opportunity, the annual TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) competition (formerly known as JETS). This year, for the first time in school history, the Mariemont team took first place in the region at the competition which is held at the University of Cincinnati.
Mr. Jeff Radloff, Mariemont’s physics teacher and TEAMS coordinator, was extremely pleased with the results.
“The teams were exceptional this year for the TSA TEAMS competition,” says Radloff. “They spent the time preparing and it paid off in the regional competition with a 1st place finish for the senior team, and the juniors with a finish only four points behind the seniors.”
The competition involved research and the application of general knowledge about science and math. Students compete in a multiple choice test and an essay test, both based on higher-level physics and mathematics.
Senior Bryan Routt, a two-year veteran of the competition, notes the degree of skill it takes to be successful at TEAMS.
“To do well you have to be able to take the raw information they give you on the test and apply it using physics and math to get to a real-world answer,” says Routt.
While the problems are rigorous and the testing atmosphere focused, the entire day is not dedicated to physics. Indeed, there is much mirth to be had and much goofiness to behold when one surrounds oneself with hundreds of people who do a lot of math. For fun.
Like Dietz, Routt remarks on some of the odder moments during his day at UC.
“We did a lot of sitting. Mostly because we were there so early and the competition didn’t start for another hour,” recalls Routt. “So we just sat in a fancy corner while college students tried to get us to pledge their fraternities. When the competition finally started, we were in a big room with hundreds of other nerds with whistles. Great idea, UC.”
Mackenzie Shelley, another member of the 1st place team, also seems to have made the most of her non-testing time.
“Kate [Hassey] and I searched for the magic staircase to the roof for the second time,” says Shelley. “We were unsuccessful.”
Apparently, Shelley and Hassey also pretended to be college students, an activity they both enjoyed.
Slightly more serious details about the TEAMS competition and Mariemont’s participation can be found here.
