With the UChicago Invitational on Feb. 4, members of Science Olympiad plan to develop their skills for upcoming competitions.

Richard Gao, Science Olympiad member and senior, said he has done many activities that have prepared members for competitions.

“In September, we held event-specific workshops to help new members learn the basics of the subject, find resources, and work on practice problems,” Gao said. “At meetings, I typically help work out problems or explain concepts on the whiteboard upon request while giving specific past-year test suggestions.”

Since Gao participates in multiple events such as Forensics, Chemistry Lab and Geo-Mapping. He said he has seen many club members develop in competitions.

“By far, the greatest skill I’ve seen develop through practices and feedback forms is communication within a partnership,” Gao said. “Knowing how to solve a question in one thing but clearly defending the reasoning in the heat of competition is a unique challenge members see firsthand.”

Cynthia Henry, the Science Olympiad sponsor, said she is eager to see how the new officers handle the onboarding of new members.

“With previous veterans filling the officer positions this year, I am curious to see how they use their experience to benefit new Sci-Oly members,” Henry said.

Gao said he has used his experience to benefit members, emphasizing the importance of these competitions.

“So often at practices, members get frustrated and say, ‘That won’t be tested,’ or ‘I’ll figure it out during the test,’ only to face the same challenge come competition,” Gao said. “Some days of practice and testing designs are good, and others are not so much. But these competition opportunities are a barometer of personal growth in studying and our build events in the trial-and-error process.”