The Chemistry Olympiad is a yearly event that begins at high schools throughout the country and ends in an international competition (this year in Thailand). Each high school nominates just two students to send to a local college or university to compete further. IU South Bend and Saint Mary's College alternate hosting the students; this year was our turn. More information about the national competition can be found at the American Chemical Society while information about the international competition can be found elsewhere: ICHO website and the 2017 ICHO Competition in Thailand.
Laboratory supervisor Connie Fox and assistant Brenda Beatty were contacted ahead of time to order chemicals, prepare solutions, and set up instruments for today's competition. The high school students spent the morning taking a written test and then after a break for lunch put all of their problem solving skills to work in the laboratory for chemical synthesis and analysis.
