This super-focused, analytical team is going for the next step on the quizzer’s ladder.
South Whidbey High School’s Hi-Q team is participating in two months of intense academic competition, hoping to win the school’s first Hi-Q championship trophy.
Greg Ballog, the team’s advisor, said the Hi-Q team is preparing to meet its arch rival, Archbishop Murphy, along with Mountlake Terrace, at the next home meet on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
The team must compete against 15 Snohomish County schools in Hi-Q, the nation’s longest-running academic quiz competition. Washington is the only Western state that competes in the popular East Coast event. The local chapter is run by Everett Community College.
In each competition, three high school teams with a maximum of eight students compete by answering questions from 13 categories. Points are accumulated throughout the season to determine which teams advance to the playoffs. Currently Archbishop Murphy is a few points ahead of South Whidbey in the standings.
The preparation for each competition is somewhat grueling as the team is given a list of categories to study.
“The kids decide who is responsible for which portions,” Ballog said.
Subjects include current events taken from the headlines of Newsweek magazine, and American history, biology, chemistry, physics, government and world history taken from American textbooks.
In art, the students are also required to analyze the scenes and characters from four Shakespearean plays, manage an in-depth study of four short stories by four authors, as well as study portions of art history, geography and math.
There is also a toss-up question in sports for which only one team can earn credit.
“The questions get real specific,” Ballog said.
It’s a little different from the comparable Knowledge Bowl team, he said, because the Hi-Q competition involves a lot more studying and analysis of the subjects.
“It takes a certain kind of kid to do the Hi-Q. But they really enjoy it,” he added.
South Whidbey competed in preliminary rounds on Jan. 18 and Jan. 25. The team will compete again on
Feb. 15 in South Whidbey High School’s auditorium. The Hi-Q semi-finals will be held Feb. 26, followed by the finals on March 3.
Ballog said it can be a bit nerve-racking for the competitors being up onstage in front of their peers, but that it’s fun to see how involved the audience gets in the meets.
“They want to see the students excel in academic competition as much as in sports,” Ballog said.
South Whidbey’s Hi-Q team includes Sommer Harris, Dinah Hassrick, Claire Hofius, Holly Huey, Sophia Larson-Wickman, Robbie Mellish, Lisa Sparks and Jenny Zisette.
Local competitions are recorded live by Everett Community College and can be seen at www.everettcc.edu/enrollment/hiq/index.cfm?id=6116.
Hi-Q is in its 35th year of academic competition in the region and is sponsored by Everett Community College, Fred Meyer stores, Mountain Crest Credit Union, the Everett Community College Foundation, University Center of North Puget Sound and participating high schools from Snohomish and Island counties.
For more information about Hi-Q and the 2011 season, visit www.everettcc.edu/hiq or call EvCC Outreach Specialist Amy Hammons at 425-388-9073.
