Although popular aspects of Larue County High School involve exclusively sports and test scores, other clubs are working hard on a weekly basis to succeed in different competitions. The Larue County High School Academic Team is known for excelling in multiple events. Within the team, there are three main groups that travel and compete throughout the state. The Quick Recall Team, Future Problem Solvers, and Written Assessment Test Takers yearly train and practice to go against surrounding county Academic Teams to earn awards in their specific event and possibly advance to the state or national level.
In the Written Assessment category, students pick a subject to compete in and take a 50 question test over it. The options include Science, Math, Arts and Humanities, Social Studies, Language Arts. The last subject, Written Composition, is an On Demand structured test rather than multiple choice. In comparison to the other parts of the Academic Team, written assessment is very tame. Although it is competitive, it’s done through tests rather than head to head battling. Many students hate this aspect of the club, because it could be considered boring or difficult, but for many of the team members, it’s an easy way to expand their knowledge in certain categories as they study to prepare for the tests. For those who don’t like more confrontational methods of competition, written assessments are the way to go!
Future Problem Solving is another possible category in the Academic Team that many enjoy participating in. in FPS, a group of 4 students are given a “future scene” that describes a scenario in a futuristic year, such as 2025 or beyond. They are given only two hours to fill out a multi-section booklet. Within the booklet, they must explain possible challenges with the future scene before choosing an overlying problem to then come up with solutions for. From the solutions you invent, they must pick one to elaborate on through an “action plan.” Harrison Hynes has been on the LaRue County Future Problem Solving Team since he was in 7th grade and he claims the hardest part is “the timing. You only have 2 hours!” Although it may be difficult to finish every component in that period of time, he still claims “my favorite part of FPS is the creative process and the fact that you can come up with any idea possible.”
Possibly the most exciting aspect of the Academic Team is the Quick Recall competitions. In this category, teams of four compete against each other in all areas, ranging from Math to Literature to Current Events. A moderator reads questions aloud and the teams have the option to buzz in to give an answer. If they get it correct, they are given ten seconds to answer a bonus question. With each correct answer, they earn a point. At the end of a 30 minute match, the team with the most points wins. Rachel Sheffer explains the hardest aspect of Quick Recall for her is that fact that “it is very cutthroat and fast, so I am unable to buzz in.” Despite the fierce competition, it is all around a good place to expand your intelligence and build on your teamwork skills as well. She encourages other students who are looking for a new club to participate in by saying, “There are so many cool people to meet on the academic team, and if you love learning, then academic team is a great way to learn new facts!”
Many students may categorize the Academic Team as something only “really smart people” can do. However, there is a place for everyone on the team. Hopefully, this newly found information has shed some light on the different aspects of the team to further explain their purpose and process in greater detail. Maybe the next time you consider joining a new club, come by the library to talk to our team leader, Mrs. Loyall to find out more.