The Science Olympiad program started in 1985 to improve the quality of K-12 science education and increase interest in various scientific disciplines. Science Olympiad functions much like a sports team of 15 members, requiring preparation, commitment, and practice throughout the competitive season. Schools challenge each other in regional competitions, and teams prepare for a series of 23 predetermined events, from Disease Detectives, which challenges students to study general trends in the characteristics of diseases to events like Technical Problem Solving, which tests students’ knowledge of technology in a laboratory setting.

On Wednesday, October 29, the Columbus Academy Science Olympiad team had its first official meeting. The team will prepare throughout the year until its first competition in March. Andrew Zhang, junior and creator of the team, says, “This is definitely a building year for the Science Olympiad program. Our team meets less than many other schools around the state, but I think our prospects in the competition are still high considering the sheer talent among the students this year.”

by Varun Vallabhaneni’16