EDITOR'S PAGE
Another Olympics Olympians don't all run fast, jump high, throw things long distances, or excel in some other physical activity. Some compete on a strictly intellectual level. In this last category are Seth Brown, Keith Rickert, Aaron DiAntonio, and Peter Capofreddi. They have just distinguished themselves in representing the U.S. in the 16th International Chemistry Olympiad for high school students recently held in Frankfurt, West Germany (see page 23). They obviously will not achieve the fame of the likes of Mary Decker, Carl Lewis, and Alberto Salazar. But they have had an experience they will remember all their lives. And they share the same thrill with all the athletes at the Olympiad in Los Angeles of having competed in something they are very good at with the very best from around the world. In fact, if anything, the competition was even tougher in Frankfurt than it will be in Los Angeles. The chemistry event does not suffer from the boycott problems that continue to plague the athletic competition. Brown, Rickert, DiAntonio, and Capofreddi did not "win." But among them they garnered one silver and two bronze medals. As a team they finished eighth out of 20. The important thing is that they assured that the U.S/s first-ever entry into this highly competitive test of chemical knowledge was a success. As a team they posted the highest score ever achieved by a nation on its first try. The International Chemistry Olympiad is an annual event. It was originated by Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary in 1968. It remained an Eastern bloc affair until 1974 when Western European countries started to participate. At this year's competition the West Germans had the strongest team. And the eight individual gold medals went to students from West Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Hungary, Denmark, and Poland. In these times of serious East-West tension, when even international contacts between scientists are under some constraints, it is indeed gratifying when young people can gather together, enjoy themselves, and engage in exciting and lively competition—and do it in an atmosphere free of political overtones. But the U.S.'s participation in this year's event was more than just a thrill for those involved and a contribution toward better international understanding—as important as these aspects are. It was also a chance to learn, or at least confirm, some things about how chemistry is taught in U.S. high schools. For instance, the U.S. students did relatively well on the chemical theory exam. But they did less well on tests designed to gauge laboratory skills. They just had not had the experience. A great deal of hard work went into this successful pilot run by the U.S. The project was sponsored by the American Chemical Society and spearheaded by Marjorie H. Gardner of the University of Maryland. It involved a considerable grass-roots effort within ACS. Forty-five local sections identified more than 200 students as potential team members. An examination then whittled this number down to 20 students, who then spent 12 days at a study camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy. It was from this effort that the final four were chosen. Of course, praising a project like this is somewhat akin to writing on the virtues of the traditional apple pie and motherhood. But there is real substance to what has been achieved. We have learned something about high school chemistry instruction in the U.S. And any effort that brings the youth of the world together in constructive ways is of inestimable value. ACS and all the others involved can be truly proud of what they have done. Michael Heylin Editor
Views expressed on this page are those of the author only and not necessarily those of ACS
July 30, 1984 C&EN
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