History. Math. Science. Art. Even sports trivia. Lakewood High School’s very own Academic Challenge club covers all these subjects and more every Friday after school from 3 to 4 p.m. Students who attend the meetings often come from all over the school to bond over their love of all kinds of facts.
Each week, after a long and grueling five days of school—juggling academics, sports, clubs, relationships and jobs—students make their way to Autumn Sabin’s classroom. Laughing and chatting, they all take their places at one of the many tables at the front of the room. Soon, they are just waiting for one more person.
In walks Alessio Matera, the team leader who has been part of the group since his freshman year at the high school. Now a senior, Matera knows all the tips and tricks to become a successful competitor. He spends the hour-long meeting quizzing his teammates with practice questions, creating a mock competition that helps prepare them for the real one.
Recently, the team traveled to Solon High School to participate in a competition. “We were pretty much in the middle of the pack, but it was our first tournament in a while. It was my first tournament outside of Rocky River, and I think that we did very well,” Matera said.
For a typical tournament, the Rangers go to Rocky River High School, one of Lakewood’s neighboring schools. At these competitions, there are “anywhere from 12 to 30 schools,” and the Lakewood team “competes with two other schools,” said Sabin, the club advisor. Lakewood has been incredibly successful in these Rocky River tournaments in the past, and the team is looking forward to what it can accomplish this coming year.
During these contests, there are multiple rounds of many questions relating to a wide variety of historical facts and trivia. There is often a team round and an individual round, with questions ranging from simple facts to “pencil-and-paper ready,” where students require something to write their calculations on. However, it’s not as scary as it may sound.
The club welcomes and unites Lakewood High School students. It is open to anyone in any grade who is interested in learning more fun facts or has a knack for remembering details. The team brings in more members every meeting, and everyone ends up having an amazing time. “Being an art teacher … I don’t really feel like I have access to a lot of kids; I have access to kids who like art classes. I wanted access to kids who are maybe athletes or musical,” Sabin said. Although this might not be her area of expertise, Sabin has been an excellent advisor for Academic Challenge. She always provides support and jokes during the meetings, and even answers some questions of her own.
The fun, homey atmosphere of Sabin’s classroom, combined with the joy of students brought together by their love of learning, creates an incredible vibe that is hard to explain to outsiders. “It’s super welcoming. You can answer one question right or you can answer 10 questions right, and it feels great no matter what,” team captain Matera said. No member judges another, because everyone is there for one reason and one reason only: to have fun.
Academic Challenge has given students a place to be themselves and express their individual personalities and strengths. Nick Graham, a student at Lakewood High School who has attended many Academic Challenge competitions, said that “it’s helped me broaden my knowledge of other topics I usually wouldn’t study, and it helps me with [things] like teamwork and coordination.” This is more than just a club; it is a team that works together, lifts one another up, and maintains a competitive spirit, attending each tournament with the goal of winning.
Being a good sport is a skill that everyone values in life; it is something that people use all throughout their school, work, and outside life experiences. By joining the Academic Challenge club, students receive not only an education in important school subjects and facts but also lessons on how to work together as a team. Through competitions and weekly meetings, Academic Challenge has become an integral part of these students’ lives as well as the Lakewood community as a whole. Matera said, “Please come to a meeting—it’s really fun!”
