The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Science Olympiad, which focuses on a prestigious STEM competition across the nation, involving design, application and interpretation, officially launched its 2024-2025 season with a productive first meeting on Monday, December 2.

The meeting set the stage for numerous weeks of preparation for the above-stated topics, with the Regional Competition scheduled for January 8 and the State Competition in March.

Club officer Saharsh Bangaru guided students through the session, providing helpful resources and study materials to ensure each participant could begin preparing for their events. This helped students understand the expectations for their categories and begin focusing on key areas for success.

The meeting also allowed students to collaborate with their categorical team members, within events like Disease Detectives, which focuses on epidemiology; Codebusters, centered on cryptography; Anatomy and Physiology; Ecology; and Astronomy.

In addition to these test-based events, there are hands-on or application events. For example, “Tower” is an event where teams create a tower for maximum structural efficiency, and Forensics involves analytical and deduction skills.

By collaborating with their partners, and understanding the details of their events, members made significant progress in studying. “I’m very excited to participate in Science Olympiad this year, and the first meeting today was a great introduction to the procedures,” said freshman Dhruv Rakhade.

Although this was the initial meeting, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Science Olympiad is preparing for an intense and rigorous season as it continues to progress.