hnews_0207_Academic_Challenge
From left: Cary-Grove 11th grade students Kathryn Thompson, 17, and Ashton O'Rourke, 16, Cary-Grove activities director Dave Cook, Marengo 11th grade students Tom Lulinski, Aaron Phillips, and Brant Lesher, all 17, inspect UV beads they coated with differing strengths of sunscreen to see the affect they have on blocking harmful rays during the annual Academic Challenge on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. The event, formerly known as the WYSE Competition, is conducted by Eastern Illinois University and featured student scholars from local high schools, including Barrington, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Marengo, Marian Central, Prairie Ridge, Richmond-Burton, Woodstock, and Woodstock North. Students began their day with registration, then headed to a welcome in the Luecht Conference Center. From there, groups of students participated in two test periods before embarking on an educational journey which included multiple workshops dealing subjects like anatomy, nursing, and chemistry, with a palenetarium show as well. This competition is the first round of a tournament, with teams advancing to sectionals at Vernon Hills High School on March 13, and finishing off with a state finals competition held at Eastern Illinois University from April 20 through 23.