The 2014 New Zealand International Biology Olympiad Team Selection process started in August of 2013. 344 students from across New Zealand participated in the thinking skills examination designed to select participants for the summer Mastering Biology tutorial programme. A total of 123 participants worked through twelve modules designed to guide their learning of essential content across the four areas of the IBO curriculum and sat the NZIBO camp selection examination. From the result 23 students were invited to participate in a ten day intensive residential training programme during the April school holidays.
This year’s team selection and training programme was conducted in collaboration with the University of Waikato, Massey University, and the University of Auckland. Participants also visited the Reptile Park in Leigh. The final selection process involved students participating in both practical and theory examinations.
The four students selected to represent New Zealand at the 25th International Biology Olympiad in Bali, Indonesia were Richard He (Auckland Grammar School, Auckland), Ethan Sorrell (Avondale College, Auckland), Hanseul Nam (Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, Christchurch) and Hamish Brown (Upper Hutt College, Wellington). Dr. Angela Sharples (Rotorua Lakes High School, Rotorua), Ms. Pru Casey (Otago Boys’ High School, Dunedin) and Mr. Shawn Cooper (Avondale College, Auckland) accompanied the students as Team Leaders and participated in the International Jury in Bali.
This year, the beachfront Ayodya Resort and Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre hosted the jury and official Opening and Closing Ceremonies respectively. Students were based at the Aston Hotel in Denpasar where they sat the examinations. Practical examination tasks included thin layer chromatography, gel electrophoresis, prawn classification and bird song recordings, challenging students to use multiple senses and techniques to understand some of the unique ecology of Indonesia.
The jury too were challenged by long hours proofing, debating and translating examination questions through to the early hours of the morning, assisting the dedicated team of Indonesian scientists in the development of fair and rigorous examination questions. With only two years to prepare for the Olympiad, patience, collaboration and tenacity were necessary skills for both jury and students as we had to adapt to last minute changes in the already exhausting schedule of events. With theoretical examinations being pushed into the evening schedule, students had their endurance as well as biological skills tested.
The backdrop of Bali provided a myriad of highlights. From our snorkelling adventure of fluorescent coral and tropical fish surrounding Nusa Penida, to seeing the rare Sumatran Tigers, Sumatran Elephants, and Komodo Dragons at Bali Safari, and walking amongst the Balinese Macaques at Uluwatu, the rich flora and fauna of Bali will forever be engrained in our memories. Culturally, the live performances of Bali Agung complete with a live cheetah and elephants on stage and the story of Rama and Sita told to the hypnotic Kacek chorus at sunset provided insight into Indonesian history, folklore and unique performance varieties.
The awards ceremony at the conclusion of the competition was met with anticipation as students and team leaders anxiously awaited the announcement of the medals. Despite being presented with 4 medals in Bali, due to some organisational confusion, the final results of the competition took two weeks to be confirmed, once again testing the patience of participants. Nevertheless, positivity prevailed as students celebrated their new found friendships forged through their exhilarating and exhausting week together. In the end, the NZIBO team came home with two silver medals and two bronze, making it one of the most successful teams in the history of NZIBO. Out of a total of 238 competitors from 61 countries we were very proud of our students’ achievements: Richard He (37th, silver), Ethan Sorrell (56th, silver), Hanseul Nam (84th, bronze), and Hamish Brown (128th, bronze).