This year has been an unfortunate one for Lake Central’s clubs, with many likely restricting their activities or reorganizing into online groups — seniors will lack the opportunity to revisit their clubs.  Despite this, Allison Peterson (12) seems optimistic about Science Olympiad’s plans this year.

   “We have an understanding of what precautions we will need to take for the best interest of everyone’s health and safety.  If we are unable to have traditional meets while social distancing and using masks, the plan is to have a hybrid season where some meets are in-person and some are online. In the worst case scenario, our season may be done via ‘Satellite Science Olympiad’, which would mean that we would only be competing online,” Peterson said.

   Peterson mentioned that she’s eager for the new season of the academic competition, but she’s also uncertain whether the team will be able to travel to college campuses for invitationals.  She feels that, in not doing so, her club members will miss out on a valuable opportunity.

   “It’s definitely disappointing that we might lose these competition opportunities, especially since they are an important aspect of our team’s success. I’m really hoping that we get the chance to have a State meet this year, as I have never gotten the opportunity to attend or compete at the State level during my time at Lake Central Science Olympiad since it got cancelled this spring. I’ve always heard wonderful things about the State meet,” Peterson said.

   Peterson has had a long history with Science Olympiad groups, and while it’s a letdown to potentially miss out on major competitions, she holds out hope that her last year will be one to remember.

   “I began my Science Olympiad journey in seventh grade when I was recruited to join the Clark Middle School team.  Since then, I have participated in Science Olympiad every year with the exception of my freshman year.  Upon joining at the high school level [in] my sophomore year, I fell in love with Science Olympiad all over again thanks to my wonderful team.  Earlier this year, in March, I missed out on the opportunity to attend our State meet at Purdue University, as it had gotten cancelled as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.  I’m really hoping that my class won’t have the same outcome this season, but I understand that we might, and that can be scary to think about. All we can do is be optimistic while being realistic and do the best we can as the season progresses,” according to Peterson.

   Besides Science Olympiad, Peterson participates in several other extracurriculars such as Art Club, National Honor Society and Theater, among others.  In the coming months, the multitude of clubs at Lake Central will have to similarly decide how they will take place under the restrictions, should they occur to begin with.