ODU HOSTS 11TH ANNUAL BLUE CRAB BOWL
Teams of students from 16 high schools in Virginia will compete in the 11th annual Blue Crab Bowl, a rapid-fire, question-and-answer competition about ocean-related subjects, on the Old Dominion University campus Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.
The competition is a regional event of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), and is co-sponsored by ODU and The College of William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS). The winning team will advance to the national meet in April in Seward, Alaska.
The all-day event will begin with a welcome from ODU's president, Roseann Runte. An initial round-robin competition begins at 9 a.m., the double-elimination rounds begin at noon and the championship rounds at 2:35 p.m. All segments of the event will take place in Webb University Center and be open to the public.
Elizabeth Smith, a research assistant professor of oceanography at ODU who serves as co-director of the Virginia regional competition of the NOSB, said nearly 60 faculty members, students and staff from ODU and VIMS are working on this year's Blue Crab Bowl. "These volunteers serve as tremendous role models for the high school student competitors," she said.
Smith said the organizers want to ensure that the event is more than just a competition. "Our goal is to expand high school students' ocean knowledge and increase public appreciation for the importance of ocean research and discovery."
Questions posed to the students will be related to the oceans and test knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, navigation, geography and also history and literature. Top scoring teams will win field trips and other hands-on marine experiences led by marine scientists.
A team from the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School, Warsaw Campus, in Tappahannock, was last year's winner of the Virginia competition. These schools are sending teams this year:
- Amelia County High School
- Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School, Virginia Beach
- Broadwater Academy, Exmoor
- Chesapeake Bay Governor's School, Tappahannock
- Fauquier High School, Warrenton
- Fredericksburg Academy
- Grafton High School, Yorktown
- James Monroe High School, Fredericksburg
- Louisa County High School, Mineral
- Maury High School, Norfolk
- Patrick Henry High School, Hanover County
- Piedmont Governor's School for Math, Science and Technology, Henry County
- Richmond Christian School, Chesterfield County
- Seton School, Manassas
- St. Christopher's School, Richmond
- Virginia Beach Friends School, Virginia Beach