Pantex Middle School Science Bowl Set for Saturday

Teams from 17 area Texas schools to compete for regional title

AMARILLO, Texas – Panhandle Junior High School will defend its regional title Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Pantex Middle School Science Bowl at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU). The event is sponsored by Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, (CNS), the managing and operating contractor for the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas.

The 2014 regional winners will face-off in a fast paced academic competition with students from 16 other middle schools across the Texas Panhandle. The teams of four students will answer questions in a round-robin format, followed by a double elimination round after lunch.

The students and their teacher coaches have practiced and studied for months to prepare for questions in a range of disciplines including life science, physical science, earth and space science, energy, mathematics and general science.

The U.S. Department of Energy introduced the National Science Bowl® in 1991 to foster an interest in science and math. The Pantex Plant has sponsored the regional competitions for more than 20 years, as part of the Plant’s commitment to education.

“CNS is proud to continue the tradition of sponsoring the regional Science Bowl,” said Michelle Reichert, CNS Vice President and Pantex Site Manager. “Our goal is to encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers, who we hope will one day help support the Pantex Plant’s important mission.”

About 150 Pantex Plant and National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office employees and retirees will work and serve as moderators, timers, judges and scorekeepers. They will be joined by volunteers from WTAMU and Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Pharmacy.

Laura Bailey, this year’s CNS event coordinator and a long-time event moderator, said this event would not be possible without the dedication of the volunteers.

“They give up their Saturday to make this an exciting event for these talented students,” she said.

Saturday’s event winning team receives an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., in April to vie for a national title, and $1,000 for their school’s science program. The second and third place teams receive $500 and $250, respectively.

CNS will also sponsor the Pantex High School Science Bowl Feb. 21 at WTAMU.

Media is invited to attend the Science Bowl starting at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 7, in the Classroom Center at West Texas A&M University. Media will be able to film or photograph the competition and interviews with contestants and volunteers will be available. Please come to room 428 and ask for George Rangel, CNS Internal and External Communications Manager. The competition will run from 1 p.m. through the final round, which starts at 4 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony.

Schools participating in this year’s Pantex Middle School Science Bowl are:

Austin Middle School (two teams)
Bonham Middle School (three teams)
Borger Middle School (two teams)
Bovina Middle School (two teams)
Bushland Middle School (two teams)
Canyon Junior High School (three teams)
Lorenzo de Zavala Middle School (three teams)
Dumas Intermediate School
Dumas Middle School (three teams)
Farwell Junior High School (two teams)
Friona Junior High School (two teams)
Higgins Junior High School (three teams)
Highland Park Middle School (three teams)
Holy Cross Academy (two teams)
Lazbuddie Junior High School (two teams)
Panhandle Junior High School
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (two teams)

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on the performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.com or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.