Whether they are quizzing each other on history facts, throwing their hands in the air to answer a math question first, or sporting their matching tie-dye shirts, the East Academic Quiz Team (AQT) participants spend every Monday and Wednesday preparing for their upcoming competition in a few months.
“What president [of Pennsylvania] appears on a $100 bill?” East teacher and AQT co-head coach John Severns asks. The team members begin quickly whispering to each other to confirm their answers before a participant shouts the answer, “Benjamin Franklin!” Severns moves on to a math question, which is quickly answered by another participant.
The Greater Miami Conference (GMC) considers AQT a sport, meaning the participants must be passing all of their core classes to participate. The GMC competition consists of the East AQT and nine other schools. According to the “Clubs” section of the East website, the teams answer questions from categories such as current events, fine arts, history, literature, popular culture, science, and sports. The page ends with a note saying “We will have a season, even if we scrimmage against ourselves!” showing just how dedicated every participant is to the team.
“We and [the] Chess Team are considered GMC sports since they are both between a sport and activity,” AQT co-head coach and English teacher Rich Schmaltz told Spark. “AQT is governed by the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association), meaning I have to do coach’s training, CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] training, and nutrition training to prepare.”
AQT co-captains and East seniors Hannah Kohlhaas and Sydney Lewis have been on the team since their freshman year. Their main duties as captains are to create lineups and understand everyone’s level of knowledge on topics likely to be discussed in a match.
“I really like just being a part of the team,” Kohlhaas told Spark. “It’s a great team to be a part of. Everyone is really nice.”
In order to prepare for the competitions, Schmaltz and Severns ask questions from the various topics, and the participants buzz in or yell out the answer to practice thinking on their feet.
At the competitions, there are three matches, each consisting of three rounds, beginning with the category round. In this round, participants are given ten categories and must answer the questions from them. The categories include pop culture, history, geography, fine arts, math, and more.
Next is the alphabet round. Participants are given the letter that all words in the round start with, and they must guess the words based on the clues they are given. For instance, if the letter is B, every answer in that round starts with the letter B.
The final round is the lightning round, where participants on each team are given a buzzer. When a question is asked, the first team to buzz in and answer correctly wins.
“It’s kind of like Jeopardy, you buzz in if you know the answer,” senior member Joe Griggs told Spark.
There is a sealed envelope at the competition that contains the questions and answers for each round, meaning none of the participants know exactly what to study. To help the participants, the coaches use their experience from over the years to formulate questions comparable to those seen in matches.
“We use similar questions to help the participants, but really a lot of the practice is just go to school, read books, know things,” said Schmaltz. “There are lots of websites, though, that people can go through and study if they want.”
One of the most important things to practice before a match is buzzing in. During the lightning round, each team is given buzzers. When a question is asked, the participants are allowed to buzz in and answer. The first team to get the answer correct will earn the point. Therefore, it is crucial that these participants can think quickly and buzz in as soon as they know the answer.
“The second you know the answer, you hit the buzzer, even if the answer hasn’t completely formed in your head yet,” senior member Micah Wanamaker told Spark.
According to Schmaltz, there is a lot to consider when putting people on teams. Sometimes, when it is clear that someone is concentrating on an answer, another teammate can buzz in for them. Thinking clearly and swiftly is key.
“The thing that you have to get used to in practice is that there are timing and buzzing rules, and you have to figure out who works best together,” said Schmaltz. “Sometimes somebody is just good at being quick on the buzzer. Often in a competition, you can see somebody concentrating and you know they probably have the answer, so you buzz in for them and answer.”
Practice is not only about asking and answering trivia questions, though. The team also enjoys making their time with AQT as memorable as possible. Participants will often bake cookies or bring snacks to the meetings, and the coaches have custom tie-dye shirts made for the team.
“This is a great way to gain more knowledge over time,” said Wanamaker. “We have great bonding experiences that make cherished memories. It’s just a really fun time.”
The East AQT has earned the title of GMC Champions twice – in 2001 and 2006. This season is another chance for the team to showcase their exceptional intelligence and earn the title of GMC Champions once again, with their season beginning in February.
