With 20-page Google documents packed with formulas and notes, the Science Olympiad team has been working towards their Palatine Invitational this Saturday on Nov. 23.

Competing in five different events for the invite, junior captain Eileen Eriks is particularly excited about the Helicopter build event, a monumental way to kick off the team’s season.

“Palatine has one of the best setups for that event since their gym has two floors,” Eriks said. “You can sit on the balcony on the second floor and watch the helicopters fly by.”

The 2024 school year has welcomed an influx of new faces to the Science Olympiad. Senior captain Noel Dorai observes the wave of freshmen that have taken interest in the club this year and their promising potential.

“This year has one of the higher numbers of freshmen I’ve noticed,” Dorai said. “It’ll mean there’s a learning curve, but it’ll also mean that we have a team well set for the next four years.”

Science Olympiad has faced substantial hurdles to their progress. As the northern wing of the high school undergoes major construction, the team’s loss of laboratory space has posed a major obstacle for preparation. Senior captain Alexander Tu expresses his concerns for their limited work space and team motivation.

“It’s a little worrying,” Tu said. “We usually have some lab space where we can test and work with some of our builds. I’m not sure how it’ll affect the motivation for some new members without the available space.”

Despite their setbacks, the support of class of 2024 Science Olympiad alumnus Simon Nirenburg and Ethan Loredo have collaborated with the captains to help structure the team.

“It’s a huge help, because we aren’t starting over every year,” Dorai said. “We’re able to build off of the work that members from previous years laid out for us.”