South’s Science Olympiad team will be competing in the University of Michigan Science Olympiad Invitational on Feb. 15. This marks their third tournament in three weeks, and their last official tournament before the regional competition.
Science Olympiad members will be traveling to Ann Arbor to spend the day on campus competing in various events like astronomy, ecology and experimental design. This tournament will give the team some of its fiercest competition. Still, President Adelina Parikh ’25 says that it is a great way for South’s team to learn how to compete against the best.
“The top Science Olympiad teams from across the country will fly in for this tournament,” Parikh said. “It’s very likely that the national champion will be in attendance.”
Despite the harsh competition, Parikh is excited for her team to participate in such a competitive environment.
“This tournament always has very difficult but very well-put-together tests,” Parikh said. “The events during this competition will give us the best possible chances for regionals.”
The Science Olympiad team has been meeting since early fall for this round of tournaments, helping each other research and study. Advisor Tabby Eldredge commends the team’s preparation prior to going to The University of Michigan.
“Students have figured out which events they are doing, making sure they are covering everything,” Eldredge said. “Even if someone hasn’t done an event before, they are still doing their due diligence to prepare for this upcoming tournament and regionals.”
The experience itself provides a lot of opportunities. Eldredge says that Science Olympiad members will be able to walk around buildings, in and out of classrooms, and during their free time, explore the greater Ann Arbor area.
“Being on campus is a really important experience for high school students because they get to see what college life is like,” Eldredge said. “Even though we are going on Saturday and there won’t be active classes, our club will be able to interact with University of Michigan students who are running the events.”
The team attends the University of Michigan tournament every year. Lucas Valice ’25, a returning member, remembers how much fun he had the last year he went.
“My friends and I were able to explore all over Ann Arbor, going to the campus store and a great Korean restaurant,” Valice said. “You have a lot of independence for the day and it feels like you’re having a genuine college experience.”
As a senior and a prospective Wolverine, Valice commends the Science Olympiad for giving him opportunities to see glimpses of what his future could look like. He enjoys the times in between his events just as much as he likes competing in his events themselves.
“[Science Olympiad] has allowed me to see colleges in ways that you couldn’t just get on a normal college tour,” Valice said. “Now that I’ve talked to college students who have similar interests to mine, I have more confidence going into the future.”
