Eastern will hold its 20th sectional level of the Illinois

Academic Challenge competition Thursday, with more than 60 high

school students scheduled to participate.

The sectional competition, sponsored by Worldwide Youth in

Science and Engineering and Eastern’s Pre-Engineering Studies

Committee, will be held in the Grand Ballroom and the

University Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University

Union, said Leonard Storm, chair of pre-engineering Studies.

Individual students and schools qualified to participate

by placing either first or second at the regional competition

held in February, Storm said.

“This is the second year Charleston High School is

competing in the event,” he said.

After a brief opening ceremony, each student will

participate in a testing section, consisting of two tests,

starting at 9:20 a.m, Storm said. Participants will be allotted

40 minutes to complete each test, he said.

The academic challenge’s exams are comparable to the

Advance Placement tests that qualify high school students for

college credit, a press release said.

The tests were composed by college professors from various

universities around the state, the release stated.

Storm said the tests will challenge students in seven

different subject areas. First, second and third place awards

along with trophies will be handed out in the three divisions

of competition following the challenge, he said.

“Sectional winners of this competition will then compete

at Champaign,” Storm said.