Hinsdale Central’s JETS Team finished in fourth place at the JETS State Competition, held on April 5, 2012. The test-taking organization, which covers six separate fields of science and the humanities, competes yearly against schools around the state.
“There are six fields: English, chemistry, physics, math, and biology, and computer science. We take forty minute tests, and the amount of questions depends on the subject. It’s pretty competitive and intense,” said team member Shirley Yang, senior.
The JETS team finished with a successful record of wins against rivals Naperville Central High School and Naperville North High School. Despite both of the other schools’ routine success, Hinsdale Central managed to stage an upset in the early stages of the year.
“We did pretty well this year. For example, we got second place at the regional competition. At first, we didn’t know what to expect. But we have a really good team this year—we beat Naperville Central at the regional competition. They’re really intense about JETS. And at sectionals, we beat them again,” Yang said.
Although the team did not manage to beat its rival in the final state competition, many individuals gained personal accolades. Senior Joe Shayani received 6th place in Physics, Senior Chris Merchantz received 1st place in Chemistry, Senior Gouri Dharmavaram received 2nd place in English, Senior Claire Walker received 3rd place in English, and Senior Stephanie Wey received 3rd place in Biology. The competition, however, is about more than mere prizes.
“Two forty minute tests can only take so long, so most of the time is spent hanging out together. It’s really fun. The bus rides there and back are always great. We know each other, since it’s all seniors. It’s a close group of people, and we’re all friends,” Yang said.