Science Olympiad 2013-2014

[Toms_42]

Disease Detectives should be Epidemiology or something.
The events that need name changes:
Disease Detectives
Dynamic Planet
Designer Genes (especially).
Anything else?

Honestly, I think these names are fine... In fact, I see nothing wrong with Designer Genes at all... Future event of "bungee egg drop" however, should be changed, in my opinion...

It's better than the old event "naked egg drop"

[ScienceOlympian]

Disease Detectives should be Epidemiology or something.
The events that need name changes:
Disease Detectives
Dynamic Planet
Designer Genes (especially).
Anything else?

Honestly, I think these names are fine... In fact, I see nothing wrong with Designer Genes at all... Future event of "bungee egg drop" however, should be changed, in my opinion...

Well, Designer Genes is a punny name, and I think punny names should be in Division B.
Imagine applying for a college and putting that you've got first place in Nationals for Designer Genes. It would be easier and more serious to say that you got first place in Genetics. Designer Genes sounds...more humorous and less serious.

[thsom]

I guess I never really looked at it that way! That makes sense, Genetics would be good.. now i'm trying to think of other 'punny' event names from div. B

[gneissisnice]

Disease Detectives should be Epidemiology or something.
The events that need name changes:
Disease Detectives
Dynamic Planet
Designer Genes (especially).
Anything else?

Honestly, I think these names are fine... In fact, I see nothing wrong with Designer Genes at all... Future event of "bungee egg drop" however, should be changed, in my opinion...

Well, Designer Genes is a punny name, and I think punny names should be in Division B.
Imagine applying for a college and putting that you've got first place in Nationals for Designer Genes. It would be easier and more serious to say that you got first place in Genetics. Designer Genes sounds...more humorous and less serious.

Eh, I disagree. If it's really that big a deal, just say "I placed 1st in an event on genetics". Relax a little, not everything has to be super serious. If they don't know anything about Science Olympiad, they're not going to be impressed whether you call it Genetics or Designer Genes if you don't explain it at all.

[ScienceOlympian]

Well, It is weird that Heredity (the serious name) is the Division B event, and Designer Genes (the punny name) is the Division C event... Unlike Shock Value (punny) and Circuit Lab (more serious). And Reach for the Stars-Astronomy. I know event names don't matter in the competitions and real life (knowledge, since you both learn the same thing), but on applications, it just sounds less professional.
Compare: I got first at State in Designer Genes.
or I got first at State in Heredity/Genetics

[gneissisnice]

Well, It is weird that Heredity (the serious name) is the Division B event, and Designer Genes (the punny name) is the Division C event... Unlike Shock Value (punny) and Circuit Lab (more serious). And Reach for the Stars-Astronomy. I know event names don't matter in the competitions and real life (knowledge, since you both learn the same thing), but on applications, it just sounds less professional.
Compare: I got first at State in Designer Genes.
or I got first at State in Heredity/Genetics

The reason Heredity is just Heredity is because the event almost only focuses on Mendelian genetics, it's not an entire genetics event. The C division event also focuses on the more molecular aspect, as well as biotechnology and stuff. Designer Genes would be misleading for B division, since it's only about heredity.

You're gonna have to explain it on the application anyway, because chances are, the person reading the application has no idea what Science Olympiad is and it won't sound impressive to them unless you explain what the event encompassed.

[Luo]

Well, It is weird that Heredity (the serious name) is the Division B event, and Designer Genes (the punny name) is the Division C event... Unlike Shock Value (punny) and Circuit Lab (more serious). And Reach for the Stars-Astronomy. I know event names don't matter in the competitions and real life (knowledge, since you both learn the same thing), but on applications, it just sounds less professional.
Compare: I got first at State in Designer Genes.
or I got first at State in Heredity/Genetics

The reason Heredity is just Heredity is because the event almost only focuses on Mendelian genetics, it's not an entire genetics event. The C division event also focuses on the more molecular aspect, as well as biotechnology and stuff. Designer Genes would be misleading for B division, since it's only about heredity.

You're gonna have to explain it on the application anyway, because chances are, the person reading the application has no idea what Science Olympiad is and it won't sound impressive to them unless you explain what the event encompassed.

Yeah, Genetics would probably be a more appropriate name for the Division C event than Heredity, but anything would be better than Designer Genes. And while it's true that some explanation will probably be warranted either way, I think that simply having a frivolous-sounded name drains away some of the credibility even if accompanied by a well-written explanation.

[caseyotis]

I went in for an interview for a citizenship award, and I had to make a resume. On events like "Crime Busters" and "Compute This," I put things in parentheses explaining what it was. I personally don't think that there was much of a problem with the event name once they knew what it was. The person was more impressed with Crime Busters (once I said it's basic Forensics) than Forestry (which is just IDing trees). If you're really concerned about being able to take people seriously, do something that people will take seriously and don't worry about the name.

[Luo]

I went in for an interview for a citizenship award, and I had to make a resume. On events like "Crime Busters" and "Compute This," I put things in parentheses explaining what it was. I personally don't think that there was much of a problem with the event name once they knew what it was. The person was more impressed with Crime Busters (once I said it's basic Forensics) than Forestry (which is just IDing trees). If you're really concerned about being able to take people seriously, do something that people will take seriously and don't worry about the name.

I think keeping punny names for Division B is acceptable. I think Division C is where it gets pretty questionable as to why they would hold so tightly onto such frivolous names. And why necessitate a potentially-awkward explanation if one wouldn't be necessary with a more descriptive title?

[ScienceOlympian]

I went in for an interview for a citizenship award, and I had to make a resume. On events like "Crime Busters" and "Compute This," I put things in parentheses explaining what it was. I personally don't think that there was much of a problem with the event name once they knew what it was. The person was more impressed with Crime Busters (once I said it's basic Forensics) than Forestry (which is just IDing trees). If you're really concerned about being able to take people seriously, do something that people will take seriously and don't worry about the name.

I think keeping punny names for Division B is acceptable. I think Division C is where it gets pretty questionable as to why they would hold so tightly onto such frivolous names. And why necessitate a potentially-awkward explanation if one wouldn't be necessary with a more descriptive title?

I agree