Local students to compete at Science Olympiad regional tournament on Feb. 14

Science Olympiad teams from 13 area middle and high schools will gather on the Goshen College campus on Saturday, Feb. 14 to compete in 23 science events, including robotics, forensics and sounds of music, for the annual Science Olympiad regional tournament.

Modeled after the Olympic games, participating schools field teams of 15 students who compete in a variety of science events at the regional and state competitions. Nearly all of the events are hands-on and require students to exhibit their knowledge of science in an applied manner. Goshen College students, faculty and staff, and members of the local community serve as judges and volunteers.

With more than 200 students participating, three middle school teams and four high school teams will advance to the state tournament. An additional middle school and high school team will advance to a wild card tournament to fill any remaining spots at the state tournament. This year’s state competition will be held at Indiana University Bloomington on Saturday, March 21. The national tournament will be held May 15-16 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The day will begin with registration, at 7:30 a.m., and a welcome ceremony, at 8:30 a.m., both in the Church-Chapel. The participants will then proceed to compete in various events throughout campus. An awards ceremony at 3:15 p.m. in the Church-Chapel will conclude the day. The Science Olympiad opening and awards ceremonies are open to the community, but some competitions are closed to observers. The competitions will take place in Goshen College’s Music Center, Administration Building, Union Building, Wyse Hall and Science Building.

The teams in Division B (grades six to nine) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, Boston Middle school, Goshen Middle School, LaSalle Intermediate Academy, Manchester Junior/Senior High School, Northridge Middle School, Pope John Paul II Middle School and Southwood Junior/Senior High School. Teams in Division C (grades nine to 12) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, Columbia City High School, John Adams High School, La Lumiere School, LaPorte High School, Manchester Junior/Senior High School, Mishawaka High School, Northridge High School and Southwood Junior/Senior High School.

The Science Olympiad began in 1983 and involves more than 12,000 schools nationally. For more information and a schedule of the day’s events, contact David Housman, professor of mathematics, at (574) 535-7405 or visit www.goshen.edu/academics/science-olympiad/.