Best of the Week 2021-2022: Excellence in College Prep

ST. ED'S MOCK TRIAL AND SCIENCE OLYMPIAD TEAMS HAVE LED A SEASON OF SUCCESS

St. Ed's Science Olympiad and Mock Trial teams have had successful seasons thus far and have excelled in both their in-person and virtual competitions. This year's St. Edward Science Olympiad Team consists of 20 students who have been competing against other high schools in science and engineering categories. Captains Matt Gray and Joey Baker have led the team to early season success, adapting to both in-person and remote competition venues throughout the season. At a typical Science Olympiad competition, students may design a time keeping device or antenna, complete a forensics investigation, and take an astronomy test all in the same day. "This year, our coaching staff including faculty Anne Marie Lavelle, Lisa D'Angelo and Libero Puccini have had to prepare for over half of our competitions to be remote, which involves building and setting up 12 lab and building events. The logistics of submitting videos and documentation for remote competitions can be daunting, but our coaching staff and team are amazing and work hard to ensure the talents and excellence of our whole team are showcased," says Science Olympiad Co-Moderator Erin Schilf. "The success the team has experienced has built momentum towards our goal of competing at the State Competition." The Science Olympiad team's most recent accomplishment was placing 6th out of 80 teams at The Ohio State University Invitational last Saturday. Congratulations to the following students and their awards from the OSU invitational and we wish the Science Olympiad team good luck as they gear up for their next competition tomorrow at the Centerville Invitational.

1st place: Youssef Asleh, Gravity Vehicle 2nd place: Joey Baker & Minjun Kim, Dynamic Planet 3rd place: Matt Gray & Sam Richardson, Green Generation 5th place: John Thompson & Gabe Stalla, Bridge 5th place: Adam Wilczewski & Gabe Stalla, It's About Time 6th place: John Thompson & Mark Hauptman, Write it Do it 6th place: Jacob Esteves, Cybersecurity

This year, two out of St. Ed's three Mock Trial teams will be advancing on to the OCLRE Regional Competition on February 18, 2022. Learning firsthand the importance of law, court procedures, and the judicial system while building critical 21st Century skills, St. Ed's Mock Trial teams have focused this year on the Takings Clause, written in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects U.S. citizens from having their property seized by the government without just compensation. This year's Ohio High School Mock Trial case examines the Takings Clause and analyzes the regulations and how they've impacted society since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. "All three teams have had outstanding performances and emulated St. Ed's tradition of excellence," says Mock Trial Co-Moderator Suzanne Fairfield. Thanks to the additional help from St. Ed's Legal Eagles, this year's Mock Trial teams will move forward in the competition, debating relevant topics that affect current U.S. citizens as the pandemic continues. Congratulations to the following students moving forward to Regionals: