Science Field Day 2019

The medal I won for BECAP.
The medal is similar to last year's medal. 

        For the last and final year that I could attend this event, Science Field Day, I decided to make it the BEST and SPECIAL one. What's better, the members of the United Science Club had a topic similar to Periodic Properties, which I joined two years ago. This year, that event is called Element Race. Similar to the event I joined two years ago, it is test on the elements of the Periodic Table. I also registered for BECAP, which is a double elimination tournament between the attending schools. BECAP derives its name from the Sciences of Science: Biology, Ecology, Chemistry, Astronomy, and Physics (although Math and General Science are included). This is also the biggest event in Science Field Day, and our school has always won first---so people expects us to do the same this year as well. 

        Science Field Day--March 23, 2019. As the same high school I've went to for this event, I went there this year as well. The same and usual (boring) procedures: sign in, and Welcome Assembly. After the Welcome Assembly, me and my partner studied for Element Race and BECAP (yes, my partner is also in this event as well). Soon, first session ended and we went into the B building were Element Race was hosted. We invited into the room, and when everyone turned up, we began. Similar to Periodic Properties (the one I join in 2017), except there are 40 stations, more than 118 questions, and one minute for each station. We have to give the properties, atomic number, the placement on the Table, atomic mass, chemical symbol, and the element name from the given information from each station. It wasn't as scary as last time, and I actually had confidence when the we turned in our test. 

      We then went to the auditorium where me and 4 other teammates took a group test (this is in session 3). This test was to determine if we would be disqualified from the BECAP tournament. There are only 5 schools that attended BECAP this year, and to make it even, one team would have to be eliminated. I was very confident that we wouldn't be, for we've the smartest and the socializing students in the whole school district!! We were given thirty minutes to take the group test, and after some harsh debate (on a few questions), we turned the test in. Then we had a practice round, which of course we won. After this, we had lunch, and a break. At this I was really nervous---BECAP is performed in front of all the attendees of Science Field Day!! Which means, if we lose, EVERYONE would witness it. However, I didn't have a lot of time to worry because soon we were back in the auditorium. 

BECAP Tournament Round (Ynez School is the school we represent.)

     Soon the BECAP competition started. Two other schools--Monterey Highlands and Garfield went face-to-face, with Garfield being victorious. Next up, us and Brightwood. We won Brightwood easy as pie. Next, us and Garfield. Of course, Garfield was even easier to beat than Brightwood (take no offense Garfield!). After two victories, we got a rest as we watched Brightwood defeat Highlands (which means Highlands has been eliminated). As Garfield stood and fought against Brightwood, we were wishing that Brightwood would win (especially, b/c we know one of the Brightwood BECAP team members). As we wished, Brightwood (barely) defeated Garfield. We then went against them again, but because we won them the first time already, it was determined (we still won that last round though) that we were first place. (We were the only school in the tournament that did not lose a single round!!) The crowds go cheering and we go relieved (and proud), and gave high fives to a ton of people with over-sized smiles. (Honestly, I just felt so proud...) We soon settled down, and high schoolers soon announced the winners for the other events.

     Turns out we won 8 awards from 21 events, with two for first, 3 second places, and 3 third places! Me and my friend did not win Element Race..., but we did win first for BECAP!! For the whole event, our school place THIRD, not bad, but for the last two times I attended Science Field Day, we would always win Second. More ironically, Garvey won second. Why? Cause they didn't got qualified in BECAP! But they did win majority of the events, and same as Brightwood, thus Brightwood won FIRST. Our rival still beated us (and we let Brightwood, who won third last year slip through us as well)!! However, better than it could have been, we won third primarily because of BECAP, with little support from the other events we won!  The last Science Field Day I could attend, I gotta say, it was a GREAT one!! Not just that, I met some of the high schoolers that I was familiar with, (which they comforted us about winning third for the whole thing), and two of the best OG teachers that retired in 2017 that came and watched us WIN! 

"Long WIN our SCHOOL!!"--me