What is the name for a female sheep, the medical name for the lower jawbone, or the latin name for the northern lights? The Harrison Academic Quiz Team devotes their time to answering questions like these, and they have a blast while they do it.
For fans of Jeopardy!, trivia, or learning in general, academic team is a great space to indulge in these interests. Academic Quiz Team (AQT) is a coeducational, competitive team that uses a question/answer format. Matches consist of four rounds; round 1 covers American literature, mathematics, life science, fine arts, and world history. Round 2 covers world literature, physical science, geography, government and economics, and American history. The third round, or alphabet round, features 20 questions whose answers all begin with the same letter, and the fourth round, or lighting round, also consists of 20 questions, with team members only having five seconds to buzz in and provide an answer.
Questions cover a myriad of topics, with some feeling like they were copied off an algebra quiz and others focusing on pop culture or “sportsball.” Academic team provides a great opportunity to learn about so many different topics, however, the competitive aspect makes it a lot more fun than normal schoolwork.
While it may seem like academic team caters to individual skills and interests, teamwork is also an important factor in this sport. Sophomore team member Casey Bertsch explained this, stating, “In academic team, we all know our strengths and we play to them. For example, I’m good at history and some random red haired nerd is really good at literature.” (Who could he be referring to, dear reader? A check of my bio on the website might help you figure it out.) While team members attempt to increase their knowledge in all topic areas, specialization is also important. Developing unique areas of expertise can help the team overall, as when playing in teams of four, different team members having different skills makes it more likely that someone will be able to answer the question. Junior John Jacob explained how he was drawn to the team because of this factor, stating “The first time I heard about academic team, it felt like a light bulb went off. I thought ‘Finally a place where I can use my history knowledge to gain team points, instead of annoying someone sitting next to me!’”
Despite the seemingly boring question-answer format, academic team is very exciting in reality. Bertsch explained that his favorite part of academic team is “the matches because I love getting a chance to finally flex my superior knowledge of history and world cultures on other people. Getting the answer right to a question about Shintoism and people being shocked that I know something like that is a phenomenal feeling.”
Jacob also highlighted how exciting AQT can be, stating “My favorite part is when we have to buzz in for questions, due to the constant adrenaline flow and a possibility to make or break the game.” Often, a match will be won or lost by only a few questions, amplifying the exhilaration when a player can be the first to buzz in, answer a question, and secure the points for their team.
Even though AQT match play can seem deadly serious- most matches take place in libraries, after all- having fun is at the core of the team. Jacob shared some of his favorite memories from being on the team, namely how AQT alumni Vinny Fiorino always wore a Hawaiian shirt on Wednesdays. Bertsch explained how his favorite memory was “the time Connor Davis and I arm wrestled and came to a complete stalemate because both of us have Herculean strength.” This display of utter “strength” certainly serves as a funny memory for the rest of the team, too. Senior Bella Porter also described one of her favorite practice drills, a game in which team members practice state capitals by utilizing flash cards and- most importantly, competition.
Competition is an important factor for the academic team. This year, the team is playing 6 matches; 3 against Mt. Healthy, and 3 against Talawanda. So far, the team has a 2-2 record, winning both games in their 12/13/23 match against Mt. Healthy and losing both games in their 1/10/24 match against Talawanda. Next up, the team will face Mt. Healthy at a home match on 1/24/24 at 4 P.M (full schedule available at http://swocsports.com/acTeamSchedule.aspx?sat=20&schoolid=25&year=2023).
If you knew the answers to the questions at the beginning of this article (an ewe, mandible, and Aurora Borealis)- consider joining AQT in the fall of 2024. And if you didn’t know the answers, there isn’t any better place to learn new information than at AQT practice.
Ultimately, we wish the Harrison Academic Quiz Team good luck in the rest of their season!
