CHEMQUEST 2012

Samuel McCabe, Caleb Sampson and James Peacock (from left to right).

Every year since 1997 the Department of Chemistry at the Waikato University has given the opportunity for students studying chemistry at NCEA Level 2 to compete for the ChemQuest™ trophy and other prizes. Secondary Schools in the University of Waikato catchment area (Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country) are invited to send teams of three to the University for an entertaining evening. This competition requires familiarity with Year 12 Chemistry as well as good general knowledge.

Each year the categories vary. There are usually four question rounds, which are broken up by the Teachers’ Turn (questions for teachers) and sometimes spot prize questions.

To add a little chaos into the situation, teams are given a jeopardy card which they may use at the beginning of one round. For that round only the jeopardy card doubles their points.

This year Hamilton Boys’ High School has taken out the second prize. This was awarded to the ‘Entity’ team consisting of Samuel McCabe, James Peacock and Caleb Sampson. The students were awarded a silver medal and chemistry textbook each along with a monetary prize of $90. They were also successful in winning several spot prizes during the evening.

The annual chemistry quiz gives Year 12 chemistry students the chance to put their chemistry knowledge to the test in a pop quiz-style challenge.

Their sound chemistry and general knowledge put Team Entity in a good starting position and they were well equipped to create punch lines for bad chemistry jokes, identify chemists immortalized on the Periodic Table and identify strange and intoxicating odours that were placed before them. In addition, they were required to respond to more serious questions based on the Level 2 curriculum.

Team Entity represented the School with pride, arriving looking very smart in their number ones and confidently taking their rightful place amongst the many other competitors already seated.  The after-school event was held at the University of Waikato on October 24^th and was attended by almost 200 students, made up of 67 teams of three.

Team Entity would like thank the contribution of their teachers, Mr Billing and Ms Basi, however, the real accolades must go to Samuel, James and Caleb for their deserved success in this Waikato based academic competition.