Arkansas Blog: Brainiacs

I caught some, but not all, of the annual state Quiz Bowl finals on AETN last weekend. It's great fun watching Arkansas high school students answer mind-bending math questions and pull esoteric facts out of their hats.

So congrats to this year's state champions:

Class 1A -- Haas Hall, which beat LISA Academy

Class 2A -- Woodlawn, which beat Parkers Chapel

Class 3A -- Bauxite, which beat Episcopal Collegiate

Class 4A -- Huntsville, which beat Subiaco Academy

Class 5A -- Little Rock Christian, which beat Morrilton

Class 6A -- Little Rock Parkview, which beat Benton

Class 7A -- Little Rock Central, which beat Cabot.

MVPs in each division included, ta da, Arkansas Times Academic All-Star Chris Mullen of Little Rock Christian. A number of other all-stars participated in final-round games.

Speaking of academic achievement: LR Central's team in the Fed Challenge, a Federal Reserve Bank competition, again won the regional championship and again will advance to national competition. Teams win by presenting an analysis of the national economy and make a monetary policy recommendation to the Fed's Open Markets Committee. It ain't tiddlywinks.

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Congrats to all of these brilliant young Arkansans, champions and runnersup alike! And kudos to their teachers, parents, and other mentors, too. It does take a village, folks ... Never, ever doubt it.

Posted by: durangokid | April 23, 2008 03:18 PM

"Class 3A -- Bauxite, which beat Episcopal Collegiate" has me snickering aloud, the proud parent of 2 public school kids.
WAY TO GO BAUXITE!

Posted by: Diogenes | April 23, 2008 05:54 PM

Not to be outdone, Fort Smith's Northside High School quiz bowl team will be going to Chicago on Memorial Day to compete in a national quiz championship. Central, Parkview, Benton, Malvern and Huntsville, Ark. teams will also be there in a field of 176 teams.

I have attended or officiated at some of these matches - these kids are breathtaking in their speed in answering and retention of knowledge. Not sure about other schools, but Northside's seniors will skip their prom to go to the national tournament. All "starters" for NHS already have secured their college berths on full scholarships: two to the U of A, one to Swarthmore and one to Boston University. One of the kids is a National Merit Finalist (going to UA.) They could hang around town slacking instead and yes, they would all have had dates to the prom. They're going because they love a challenge and would not miss the shot at a national win.

Can't speak for the other schools but at Northside, quiz bowl is a completely voluntary extra-curricular activity and the teams must raise their own funds for travel, something I find deplorable considering the dollars spent on other activities. The kids I know (yes, one is mine!) spend five days a week staying after school, sometimes until 7 p.m., practicing. I have to drag mine out of practice. They're bright, kind and tremendously supportive of each other, win or lose. They don't have an "off" button for questions - the practice goes on and on, in the car, in front of the Wii, on the computer and on the cell phone. The team has 8 members. More like them, I say!

I have no doubt that the other teams are very similar in their dedication. Do attend one of these matches next year. You'll go away humbled, proud and with real hope for the future.

Posted by: mag | April 23, 2008 07:09 PM

>>Teams win by presenting an analysis of the national economy and make a monetary policy recommendation to the Fed's Open Markets Committee.<<

Could the high school students' policy recommendations be worse than policy actually practiced?
.

Posted by: L.Wood | April 23, 2008 08:20 PM

Go Haas!

Go Subi!

Posted by: bugeyedlittlefreak | April 24, 2008 08:00 AM

Arkansas Blog

Brainiacs

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