Spectator sport: Young minds in action at Science Olympiad

Nearly 800 middle school and high school students will gather at the University to shoot off bottle rockets, construct bridges and participate in a "naked egg drop" when Chicago hosts the Science Olympiad Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 14.

Spectators are welcome at the following events. For more information, call 702-8369.

Bartlett Gymnasium: 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Wheeled Vehicles: Students make a vehicle which uses some sort of nonmetallic elastic device as its sole means of propulsion. Trajectory: Students design, calibrate and shoot a device capable of launching a tennis ball into a target area of sand.

9 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Pentathlon: A physical and mental obstacle course.

12:30 to 3:40 p.m. Propeller Propulsion: Students build an aerodynamic device that uses a propeller to stay aloft as long as possible. Scrambler: Students design an egg transportation device that will get the egg as close as possible to its target without breaking.

Kent Hall 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., Room 120 Towers: Students design and build the lightest tower that can support a suspended load.

12:30 to 3:40 p.m., Room 120 Bridges: Students design, build and test a bridge that can hold up to 20 kilograms.

BSLC 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Bungie Egg Drop: Teams drop an egg attached only to an "elastic" cord -- how close can it get to the target without breaking?

12:30 to 3:40 p.m. Naked Egg Drop: Students design a crate that will let their egg land safely from a high distance.

Stagg Field 9 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Bottle Rockets: Students design, construct and test one or two rockets made from a two-liter plastic pop bottle.