If you have an interest in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy or even forensic science, Science Olympiad may be the club for you.

Chemistry teacher and club advisor Corey Lowen describes Science Olympiad as a laid-back group of students who like science and enjoy solving a variety of interesting science problems.

The team travels to meets once a month to gather with other schools’ teams and compete in different disciplines of science. Events at meets involve anything from solving a problem or completing a lab to actively building a mechanism.

“We prepare a little, but I wouldn’t say that [our members] take it way too seriously,” Lowen said. “We have fun with it.”

Before each meet, two club meetings are usually scheduled. Meetings are Wednesdays after school, but because of the individual preparation needed, attendance is not strongly enforced. Club captain Rudra Ranganathan sees this as a unique aspect of Science Olympiad.

“It’s not like one of the clubs where everybody’s doing the same thing,” Ranganathan said. “Everyone’s doing completely different things.”

Wayland is part of the West Suburban Science League, which consists of 17 different teams. Currently, Wayland is ranked in 9th place.

“I think we could definitely finish in the top half of the West Suburban Science League,” Ranganathan said. “I think that given enough preparation, we could do pretty well at States.”

This year, Science Olympiad has grown in numbers from the flow of incoming freshmen and the entry of new senior members.

“The club is a really good club for anyone who likes science and wants to do something that’s not a huge commitment,” Lowen said. “I recommend it to anyone who likes science and is looking for something to do.”