Last week, Science Olympiad held its annual inhouse exams for multiple science events, including new trial events for the upcoming year. These new trial events are Remote Sensing and Optics, topics that are not taught in depth at school and require a lot of outside knowledge.

Inhouse exams test students’ knowledge of the events they decide to try out for; topics range from biology to problem solving. Testing conditions are designed to simulate what members would anticipate at a competition. Other than the fact that each exam lasts 20 minutes and is completed without a partner, all of the rules are observed. Though the exams aren’t meant to be extremely difficult, they allow the coach to gauge students’ potential in certain events–especially in trial events.

Remote Sensing was an event that last appeared in 2013. Senior board members Celina Tran and Ivanka Juran are among the few who remember this event from their freshman year.

While she didn’t have any experience with Remote Sensing prior to taking the exam, Celina used her background in Green Generation, an event that deals with ecology, to help her navigate through it. Celina commented, “I was attracted to the environmental issues aspect of [Remote Sensing]. This year’s focus is on the Hydrosphere, and problems that we humans cause to it.”

Optics is another event that hasn’t appeared in years; no current member of Science Olympiad has ever competed for it. This event covers topics that even extend beyond our school’s AP Physics curriculum.

Despite his lack of familiarity with the event, senior Geoffrey Lin “decided to try out for Optics because it seemed the most interesting to [him].” Unlike the other events, “Optics [requires] a lot of abstract thinking.”