Lisle Science Olympiad Qualifies for State

The Lisle High School Science Olympiad team placed fifth at the College of DuPage regional on March 14, meaning they will move on to the state competition on April 18th. The state competition is held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This is the third year in a row that Lisle High School’s team has made it to state. Now that LHS has qualified, it’s a good time to talk about what Science Olympiad means to the Lions: In addition to being enjoyable, it helps them learn, be exposed to new subjects, be prepared for their future, and make friends.

Science Olympiad is a team competition where students compete in pairs or trios in many events related to different areas of science. There are three/four main types of events: Test events, where students will take a written test on the given subject; Lab events, where students will use lab materials to preform experiments; Build events, where students will construct and/or program a device to complete a certain task (ex: a robot or a bridge); and combination events, where the students will usually take a test in addition to a lab portion or testing their build/device. 

These events focus on topics related to biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, fields that many students may consider pursuing in a career. Working on and researching these events helps students learn how to study, as well as work together as a team and have fun doing it. 

At the state competition last year, LHS’s team placed first in its division. Even though competitors in that division do not move on to the national competition, Lisle’s impressive placement last year may mean we will now be placed in the higher division, alongside larger schools like Naperville North and Hinsdale Central. 

Senior Katie Sims, a team member, had this to say about the experience of going to state: “Last year was actually my first year on the team, so making it to state was actually kind of surprising … It was a really fun experience though overall, because we got to travel there with the whole team…and experience a college campus”. 

State will mark Sims’s final competition with the team. She says what she is going to miss most about it is the people.

“When last year’s seniors left, the team had a dent in it,” Sims notes. “Not only just because they were amazing test takers, but also because they were just funny people. …the new freshmen coming in… they’re equal levels of uniqueness, that I think I’m really gonna miss.”

Good luck to our team as they move on to the State Competition.