THE Cambridge High School team won the Scifest Africa/Rhodes University National Science Quiz last week, earning each team member a bursary for their first year of study at Rhodes University as well as a Raspberry Pi laptop and starter kit for their school.
The Scifest Africa/Rhodes University High School quiz is an annual initiative targeted at developing and inspiring young minds.
The quiz consisted of two rounds, involving a qualification round in which teams had to submit a written quiz and the final round where the top four school teams competed at the Scifest in Grahamstown on March 13.
The Cambridge team was the only team from East London to qualify for the final round and consisted of three matric physical science pupils, Monique van der Merwe, Garrick du Plessis and Jordan Nebbe.
Cambridge competed against teams from Victoria Girls’ High School, Queenstown Girls’ High School and Kingswood College. Cambridge went on to win the title and prizes with 32 points, beating Kingswood College by a narrow 2 points.
“The other teams were quite knowledgeable, but I believe they lacked our spirit and determination,” said van der Merwe.
The team had to answer various questions from a myriad of genres including chemistry, physics, geography and biology.
“It was an awesome feeling winning the quiz as at times the questions were challenging, but we were able to answer them with a bit of team work,” said du Plessis.
Nebbe said: “The questions were hard, but nothing we couldn’t handle.”
All three team members are grateful and excited to be given the opportunity to study at Rhodes University next year.
“I have always dreamed of being a Rhodian, so that coupled with the scholarship, means I am most certainly going to attend Rhodes for my tertiary education,” said van der Merwe.
Du Plessis said: “After winning this scholarship, I definitely see myself furthering my studies at Rhodes University.”
The School’s prize, the Raspberry Pi powered Laptop and Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit, includes the latest credit-card-sized Raspberry Pi single-board computer, as well as integrated Bluetooth and wireless LAN connectivity directly on the board.
This will allow all projects connected to it to be produced much quicker and easier, facilitating the learning and teaching experience.
“I was very happy to hear about the achievement of our young scientists. They have done the school incredibly proud, and we are proud to be represented by these talented learners,” said Cambridge headmaster, Spencer Welman.
