SCIENCE OLYMPIAD SEASON START UP

LIAM MALOY AND ALEXANDER BETHKE WORKING ON THEIR STRUCTURE FOR THEIR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD EVENT; PHOTO BY ANISA RACHMAN

As the second semester rolls around, the Science Olympiad team gears up for their first competition in Mt. Vernon. This extracurricular involves teams competing against other students in the state in science related fields. The types of competitions range quite a bit, from building structures, solving outlandish mathematical questions, to chemical labs. This season comes with plenty of changes within the CCA team and the Science Olympiad organization as a whole. “We decided to make the club more student-led,” stated Science Olympiad advisor, Brice Jensen. “Our goal is to empower students by putting them in roles so that they can make their own decisions and they can guide the younger members.” Jensen and co-advisor, Jesse DiLorenzo, hope that through this change, students can improve their cooperation skills and learn to problem solve on their own. So far, the student committee has exceeded their hopes and expectations.

This year, Junior Luke DiLorenzo was selected as president of the club, Senior Joey Coburn the vice president, Senior Olivia Romero the secretary, and Senior Evan Streit the treasurer. All three have worked hard in getting the team to operate smoothly and have students stay accountable to prepare for their events. Coburn has been especially diligent in ensuring communication is as open as possible with the team, “Honestly, having the role as Vice President has satisfied me the most, I have longed for this role for a long time— because of my enjoyment for organization of the team and events”. 

Coburn has been involved in Science Olympiad since the 7th grade, and has been one of the top performers on the team. This year Coburn is participating in Forestry, Fossils, and microbe missions as her chosen events. “What I look forward to the most this season is simply witnessing the hard work students have done this year— putting on shows at state, and the Sci Oly family coming together as a whole to have a fun time together at their events!”. 

The Science Olympiad organization will also be undergoing some recent changes. This year the Science Olympiad State Director from the University of Northern Iowa, Jill Maroo, has stepped down from her position. This in turn has led the Science Olympiad State competition date to be pushed back and is expected to be held at the Iowa State University instead. The tentative date for the State competition is set for April 13th, however this is still subject to change.

Despite these changes, the Clear Creek Amana Science Olympiad team is still going strong with their preparations for each of their entered events. Jensen is thrilled to be back in the Science Olympiad season and is ready to see the students compete. What he loves the most about being one of the advisors for this club is watching the students’ growth and problem solving skills being really put to work. From simply learning what the event is to competing against students from other schools in only a few short months, this is a challenge that both the students and advisors share enjoyment in. “That to me is the best part, just seeing that progression… and of course, seeing the students compete is just the cherry on top”.