OHS students finished competing in the school science fair on Jan. 21. The top 5 winners in each of the 10 categories advanced to the Mississippi Region VII competition, hosted by Ole Miss, on Feb. 25.

Many students utilized different approaches in coming up with an idea for their science fair project.

“I always think of something I don’t understand in the world and I try to think of an experiment I can make from it,” said freshman Marawan Elgohry, who competed in the Earth, Space and Environmental Sciences category. “From there, I research background information. That way I can start my project early, and then create portfolios filled with research and statistics as well as my log book.”

The science fair is also a good way for students to research and experiment with topics that they are interested in. This way through practice it can benefit them later on in the field of science and other places.

“I think it gives students who are interested in science a real picture of what science looks like,” said OHS science fair sponsor Sarah Robinson. “It can also give a real challenge and can help students face a challenge and overcome it.”

Many students who compete in the science fair have also found it as a beneficial tool and practice for many other activities that they participate in both school and out of school.

“Science fair is very beneficial to me in other areas such as public speaking and debate,” said junior Nitin Ankisetty, who competed in the Biochemistry category. “Preparing a board and presenting it in front of judges is very similar to writing a debate case and arguing in front of judges.

“Furthermore, the ability to research and present a scientific topic is useful in college and other science clubs in high school. The random information I learn from science projects has also shown up in a variety of clubs I participate in, such as science bowl and science olympiad.”