CSC Scholastic Contest Returns After COVID Hiatus, Results To Be Posted On Thursday

     The Chadron State College Scholastic Contest returned today from a 2-year COVID hiatus, moving from the spring to the fall for the first time in its 6 decade run.

      Contest Committee Chair Caitlin Roes says the decision to move to the fall was based on avoiding conflicts with regional high school athletic and FFA events as well as dates for the 2 primary tests used in the college application process, the ACT and SAT.

       There are 32 schools and 900 students registered for the 59th contest, both well down from normal pre-pandemic years. There were 1,400 students from 46 high schools in 2016 and about the same number of students and 43 schools in 2017.

      Major snowstorms interfered the next two years. The 2018 registration of 1,150 students from 42 schools dropped to only 9 schools and 177 students participating while 2019 dropped by about half after the contest was postponed a month by a storm

     Roes, CSC assistant admissions director, says the college again provided a variety of activities across campus for contestants to enjoy before and after their tests, including campus tours at 10:00 and noon.

      Activity options in the Student Center included a Club and Department Fair with swing dancing in the Ballroom, a music Open Mic in The Pit from 10:00 to noon, and games including pool, ping pong, and foosball all day. 

     Electronic gaming rooms in the basement of the King Library were open to visitors from 7:30-1:00 while the Veath Planetarium will host shows at 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30 in the Math Science Center of Innovative Learning.

      Visitors could watch a necropsy of a mountain lion at the Rangeland Complex Room 213 from 9:00 to noon, and students were welcome to visit the exhibits in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center from 8:00 to noon.

    For most of the year its been held, the Scholastic Contest posted individual and team results the day of the competition, but in 2019 they weren’t released for 2 days. This year, it’s a 1-day wait with final school and individual rankings posted online tomorrow.