By Sade Goodridge
mail@floridanewsline.com
Sometimes, the sweetest of victories follow the greatest of trials.
Academic World Quest is a one-night trivia contest where students across the country are invited to put their global knowledge to the test. Before the event, teams are provided with a study guide that contains articles and academic journals that pertain to United States international affairs. During competition time, the questions come exclusively from these sources. In teams of four, each group has 30 seconds to buzz in their answer in hopes of gaining enough points to win the meet. A winning team member, Roberto Lachner, says, “It’s not about speed, it’s about accuracy.”
To qualify for nationals, each region across the country holds a meet of its own. Ponte Vedra HIgh School had multiple teams competing, with the winning team consisting of Lachner, Grace Nuri, Ella McCarthy, and Ben Black. Northeast Florida’s regional competition was held in the University of North Florida’s Hubert building and topics included climate change and cryptocurrency.
Ponte Vedra High School’s Model United Nations and Academic World Quest team had been through many ups and downs; between troubles with sponsors and the emergence of the COVID-19 virus, the incoming presidents for the 2021 – 22 school year, Landon McIntosh and Sara Molloy, were rightfully nervous for the upcoming competition.
Yet, miracles do happen.
The year started with a record of 40 delegates to GatorMUN, a Model UN meeting that takes place at the University of Florida. Good fortune continued to the PVHS Academic World Quest team, with minimal preparation, qualifying for nationals.
After a tense couple of rounds, the PVHS team scored a victory. The prize includes suitcases with a duffel bag and a ticket to nationals in Washington, D.C. in April.
The event in D.C. will be a two-day affair where the competition consists of 10 questions per 10 topics. Despite the study guide material being quite tedious, the Ponte Vedra High School team still has high hopes for success. President Sara Molloy believes “working in a team brings higher levels of success.”
With prizes on the line such as a $3,000 scholarship, team member McCarthy feels confident in her team’s success, saying, “Model UN helped.”
Academic World Quest truly is a competition for those who have a greater interest in global affairs and the Academic World Quest Club highly recommends competing if one is interested in foreign affairs. The team’s greatest advice? Study thoroughly and trust your team.
Photo courtesy Sade Goodridge
Ella McCarthy, Ben Black, Roberto Lachner, Grace Nuri, and the chairman of Academic World Quest Jacksonville.
