You could cut the tension with a knife. Who would emerge victorious, Menomonee Falls or Rice Lake?
Usually a tired cliche like that would be reserved for an athletic event. This tagline instead describes the setting of the awards ceremony for the Middle School Science Olympiad held on campus Saturday.
Rice Lake Middle School took home first place out of 53 teams from throughout the state, followed by Menomonee Falls and Marshall. It was the school's first win in the nine years it has participated in the event.
"Last year we missed nationals by 1 1/2 points, so we knew we had to come back and take it," said teary-eyed Rice Lake coach Cindy Villalpando. "It was now or never."
Holding up their trophy was the shining moment for the team, but it was only one of many highlights on the day. The Olympiad, which featured 24 events in an Olympics-like setting, gave younger students the chance to learn and compete in a college environment. UW-Oshkosh's Science Outreach program organized the event.
"It's a nerd fest," said 8th-grader Rai Tokuhisa. "It always has been and it always will be. It's just great to know that there are other people out there who are still cool (and) that are just as nerdy."
Tokuhisa, from Lincoln Middle School in Kenosha, was part of a team that finished third in the ecology competition. She said the university student volunteers were helpful and that she liked the campus environment.
"At first it's really intimidating and you constantly have to look at your map, but as soon as you get a feel for the layout, it's almost like home," she said.
Student volunteer Don Tatalovich, 21, said the event is just another effort Science Outreach makes toward educating younger students.
"I think in general, Science Outreach offers people (a chance) to learn a lot before they're in a college setting," he said, adding that a lot of the materials covered in the event are used in upper-level classes. "A lot of the stuff they learn here will carry right over into college."
Although he doesn't plan on becoming a teacher, Tatalovich, a biology major, said that he enjoys the chance to teach and interact with younger students.
"I think it's something I'd like to do - if nothing else, in a volunteer capacity - for the rest of my life," he said.
Tokuhisa, who has an interest in anatomy, said she would definitely consider attending UW-Oshkosh when it comes time. She has also thought about joining the Marine Corps. "I want to prove that you can have brains as well as brawn," she said.
The state Olympiad is in its 21st year. Leading up to Saturday, Menomonee Falls had won the past three competitions.
"It's exciting to interact with the students and to see their interest in science," said George Weir, 21, of Science Outreach. "They have a genuine interest in what they're doing, which makes them a great group to work with."
The competition wasn't the only entertainment for the students, as Ed Mueller put on a chemistry demonstration in Kolf Sports Center shortly before the awards ceremony. Mueller displayed the "magic" involved in scientific processes.
In one demonstration, he performed a simple math equation using random numbers shouted from the crowd. After achieving his answer, he pulled from an envelope a piece of paper that appeared to be blank. He then sprayed the paper with a substance and the exact same number appeared on the sheet.
"That one I probably won't explain to you because I don't understand it myself," he told the students. "Go see your math teacher."
Villalpando and fellow coach Kari Hudson said their team has been preparing since January, and in the past two months has been working after school almost every night.
"Overall as a team they're such a nice group of kids," Villalpando said. "They back each other up." Even team members who did not place in events were excited for teammates who did, she said.
Both Rice Lake and Menomonee Falls qualified to compete at nationals in Wichita, Kan. May 18-19.
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