thewarriorpost Most Intriguing Seniors
ISSUE FIVE MAY 19, 2011 MARTIN HS ARLINGTON,TX
2011
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Martin High the Science Guys UIL Science conquers Regionals, goes to State
page 3… Ellie Hozhabri • Editor-in-Chief IL Academics is taken very seriously at this school and apparently with good reason, as our competitors made their way to Regionals in Lubbock Apr. 15. UIL thrives on devoted students willing to study their material for dozens of hours in order to master the UIL test. Science, in particular, made it to state competition May 7, winning third place as a team. The preparation put in by the UIL Science Regionals and State senior competitors Matt Lau, Connor Barnhill, Michael Lau and Abraham Lam came a long way. They won the “wild card” at Regionals, a term used for any team having the highest second place score among the regions. “The best part of the Lubbock trip was the last 20 minutes,” UIL Science sponsor Jay Atman said. “That was when senior Farhana Ganchi was trying to get her brother to find out other schools’ scores and she told us them, which showed we were 99.999 percent the wild card. The other four and a half hours just stunk.” In Austin, State competition raised the difficulty bar dramatically, and it took more than elephant luck. Students must choose between close choices over any specific topic of science in a timely manner. The heated testing environment sometimes leads to indecisiveness about which response is the right answer. “I felt like I had prepared myself well for it,” Barnhill said. “The hardest part was the test itself. Every question was a battle to determine which answers could be eliminated to narrow down my choice of possible correct answers.” Results included winning third place as a team, with individual awards as well. Michael Lau won second on the physics
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section, while Barnhill won second in biology. Barnhill also won fourth as an individual. “I was disappointed in myself for changing my answer and missing out on eight points that could have earned me a first place medal,” Barnhill said. “I’m also disappointed for not outscoring [Paschal rival] Dominic Yurk, who is four years younger than me. Those were my immediate feelings. Now, though, I have come to be proud of giving Martin a good name.” In order to fend off bad luck, the UIL Science team members never forget to perform their testing rituals. “We have this blue elephant,” Matt Lau said. “We always bring it to every meet and toss it around. We let every single team member touch it at least once in the testing room for good luck.” As any other state competition, not only do the questions get more challenging but the competition is extremely high, since all contestants are essentially winners of their region already. “I was shocked to see that the top four scores were so close to each other,” Barnhill said. “I feel like there were really four first place winners at the meet. At least that’s how I cope.” Lam has a different take on the State results. To him, Regionals was more intriguing, and he felt more optimistic about that test. “It was less depressing, and there were more people to actively talk there,” Lam said. “It was less stressful. I managed to pull through that time when the team needed me but didn’t at the state meet.” If anything, these four have developed a supportive relationship with each other, being happy for one another no matter their own score. “Personally, I did not actually place in anything individually,” Matt Lau said. “But I am truly proud of Connor, Michael and Abraham on getting the team so
far. They all worked extremely hard and studied numerous hours. I remember on TAKS week, when all the other seniors had late arrival almost every day, they dedicated their mornings to taking practice UIL state tests. On the bus rides to competitions, they would be studying. In the hotels, they would be studying. True dedication.” With these high self-expections and so much commitment, the team members said they initially were disappointed they didn’t win first. With time, however, their view changed. “Although it would have been nice to be second or first, what’s passed is the past,” Matt Lau said. “Third is still an extremely good placing, and I am very thankful to have had the chance to work with these amazing people and Mr. Atman this past year.” As the school year wraps up, seniors must reflect on the fact that they will no longer be a part of UIL next year. “I’m going to miss the intellectual rigor that has prepared me for an altitude of knowledge,” Michael Lau said. As upperclassmen, many contestants have gone to several cities to compete in the past four years. “I’m going to miss traveling to other places for contests,” Matt Lau said. “We went to Lubbock, San Antonio, Aledo and Austin this year. According to Matt Lau, senior UIL members graduating have left big shoes to fill. “I’m leaving behind a high standard,” Matt Lau said. “That’s their motivation right there.” First place or not, the work that UIL Academics competitors put in is not ignored, especially by their sponsors. “I am incredibly proud of the work they’ve done, what they learned, their commitment to excellence and their unswerving dedication to not stop until the end,” Atman said.