Students’ backpacks begin to fill with notebooks, papers, and projects as the third quarter comes to an end. Even though they are putting in the work every day, it is important to reflect on what students have accomplished and to celebrate those moments with joy and gratitude. Chesterton High School is prominently recognized for its science and mathematics programs. Science Olympiad is a nationally recognized team that allows students to collaborate with partners in a series of events, such as chem lab, entomology, bungee drop, and several others. They have performed exceptionally well in the past, finishing in the top 10 at the state level with many successful regional events. Commonly, students wonder how they are progressing and what to expect in the near future.
Recently, the CHS Science Olympiad Maroon team competed at regionals. The competition took place on Saturday, Feb. 14th at Indiana University Northwest. Students competed against 15 other high school teams and participated in many events throughout the day. Ultimately, the team qualified for state by working through difficult tasks and helping each other along the way. It is not entirely about what they achieved, but rather the hard work of those who prepared for individual events this year. Many students finished in the top six at individual events. The team placed fourth overall with plenty of dedication and effort from those who participated.
Consider remote sensing, an individual event where students can study satellite imagery and geospatial data to identify the features of Earth. Carys Flemming and Mia Tsugawa earned first place in this competition event. Furthermore, Ria Kashyap and John Dodds took first place in Protein Modeling. They were able to carefully analyze the structure of molecules and come up with logical conclusions. Callum Webb and Elizabeth Uehling placed second in Entomology, or the study of insects and how they live, grow, and help our world. Notably, Tsugawa and Uehling earned fourth place in Rocks and Minerals.
There were many others in events such as Chem Lab, Dynamic Planet, Circuit Lab, Forensics, Hovercraft, and Entomology. Freshman Aditi Shiggavi is one of the many hard-working students who participated in events for the Science Olympiad. “It is going wonderful [sic], and I have made many friends along the way,” Shiggavi noted. Furthermore, she addressed how people are constantly doing practice tests and training for upcoming competitions together. This sense of community ensures that nobody feels alone or like they cannot reach out for help. Shiggavi explained that “if people missed out on a previous competition, they can work together on events and collaborate with partners to make it up.” For incoming high schoolers who enjoy science and love experiments, Aditi recommends that they join before leaving.
