The Academic Super Bowl team competed on April 19 at Wheeler High School in Valparaiso, IN. After losing sponsors Mrs. McGuire and Mr. Tutacko, the Academic Super Bowl team has gained two new sponsors: Ms. Mullaney in the English spot and Mr. Trafny for social studies.

After advancing to the state finals last year, the English team repeated their 1st place victory in the first round, while social studies scored 2nd in their class.

“For me, it was a lot of work, a lot more so this year than last. This year, the English team and the History team, both of which I participate in, faced a lot of pressure,” said sophomore Caitlyn Grcich.

Junior Mary Lowry, who is a member of the English team, said, “For English, the way to become most prepared is by fully reading and comprehending the material.”

Academic Super Bowl isn’t all just studying and it isn’t intense competition. A tradition is to tye dye t-shirts and have a pizza party after the season is over, says Lowry.

“I enjoy it a lot. It makes me feel like studying and hard work really pays off – I just wish more people would be interested in it,” Grcich says.

With Mr. Tutacko retiring and Mr. Trafny being new to the Academic Super Bowl, it is taking time for the team  to adjust to a new teacher.

This year’s theme is “Hoosier Heritage” in both History and English. For English, the team read the novel, The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington—a book about a family who lives in Indianapolis through two different generations. The authors of the short stories and poems also hail from Indiana.

For social studies, the team focused on Indiana’s development as a state,  from governors and their mishaps to the famous families of Indiana.

Because the state advances teams on scores, not places, the English team does not yet know if it will advance to the next round.

“I think that we just need to work and study very hard, and both of my teams need to help form the coaches into what can help us improve, especially when they’re brand new, first-year coaches,” Grcich says.