By helping each other Academic Challenge team members build teamwork and friendships in their several competitions throughout the school year to help each other do better in competitions and to build a fun atmosphere.
According to Academic Challenge advisor James O’Neil, Academic Challenge gives students the opportunity to collaborate on questions helping each other learn and how to work as a team.
“I think more of it is just the competition working as a team, all those things that happen in any kind of team,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil said that this composition also helps create friendships.
“I think it’s competitive, but it’s friendly competition, too.” O’Neil said, “The top two teams have a friendly and respectful rivalry.”
According to freshman Nolan Guessford, Academic Challenge is a great competition for friends to have a good time. “Most of the time everybody’s just there for the same reason, doing it for fun,” Guessford said.
Guessford has “built a lot of new relationships” with members of the club.
“Now when I see [members] in the hallways, I don’t just walk by. I say, ‘Hey,’ and have a little conversation. So, it’s definitely built those little connections,” Guessford said.
Senior Bradley Evans said that the competition creates a collaborative environment.
“The competition is a team effort. So, we all have to pull our knowledge with all the questions,” Evans said.
Academic Challenge also helps people become more social through creating more interactions. “Our freshmen are making friends with other people within our own group,” Evans said.
According to O’Neil, Academic Challenge also helps students make friends through its relaxed and fun nature.
“They eat while they’re in practice and you know, that’s kind of part of it,” O’Neil said. “The competitions, the host team always brings food.”
Evans said that there are many things that build this fun nature such as their approach to the competitions.
“It’s more collaborative in that sense and not necessarily collaborative, but it is fun. You know, if we all don’t know the answer, we’ll throw out Funny guesses or whatever,” Evans said.
For Guessford, Academic Challenge also has many ways of having people socialize like during rides to and from different schools. “You definitely had that socialization,” Guessford said.
Evans said that this fun experience and collaborative environment allows students to all have a good time from just being together. “It’s really just showing up, having a good time, trying your best because some people don’t have all the skills yet [but] they’re going to get there,” Evans said.