Academic Challenge team pleased with end of season
The 2013-14 Academic Challenge season came to a close at the regional tournament.
Some members define this year’s season as successful.
“I really thought we have had a successful season this year,” Seokhyeon Ryu [12] two year member of the Academic Challenge team member said.
But, what is success for an academic challenge team? What does an Academic Challenge round even look like?
Ryu explains there are really three sections to a general Academic Challenge tournament. The first section is categorical questions, all of which focus on one primary category [including geography, history or literature]. Section two is alphabetical where the answers to the questions all begin with the same letter of the alphabet. Section three, according to Ryu, is the most intense of the sections, and is deemed the lighting round where both knowledge and timing are essential to answer an array of questions across a plain of different categories.
Ryu explains that complete success for an academic challenge team is achieving the ultimate goal of a qualification to the state tournament.
The WHS Academic Challenge team missed this honor by just one place at the regional tournament.
“We placed third at Regionals… but that was an accomplishment of itself, which I think showed our success of this season,” Ryu said.
Three-year veteran of Academic Challenge and the captain of the team Henry Liu says this was the best season the team has had in recent history.
“This season was much better than the past two years I have been on the team,” Liu said.
One of their accolades, according to the Academic Challenge Coach Mark Kister, is the honor of claiming the title of OCC district champions, reigning over seven other schools.
“We had a very good year this year. We won the OCC which qualified us for the regional tournament…,” Kister said.
Like any other club or activity at WHS something is always learned.
Liu says he has learned that he has to work for him, whereas Ryu says it has taught him that he will never know enough.
The team will begin its regular season again in the fall.
