EVERETT — It was more than an academic event.
The auditorium at Henry M. Jackson High School was filled with students and guests cheering for the three high schools team in the regional Hi-Q championship. The crowd was loudest when members of Jackson High’s team answered questions correctly, but kids still cheered for Jackson’s two rivals — Arlington and Archbishop Murphy high schools.
Hi-Q teams answer questions in 14 different categories such as world history, chemistry, Shakespeare and current events. Each team has 15 seconds and four chances to answer a question correctly.
Some of the questions:
•In Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” give the name of the rogue character that Camillo asks to exchange clothing with Florizel, so Florizel would have an effective disguise. Answer: Autolycus
•State the name given to the mineral composed of zinc sulfide in a hexagonal crystal structure. Answer: wurtzite
•In 1901, under the leadership of a progressive governor, the Wisconsin Legislature called for an end to caucus and convention nominations for candidates. Give the last name of this Wisconsin governor. Answer: La Follette.
After an hour of questions, Archbishop Murphy High School won the championship, scoring 39 points. Henry M. Jackson earned second place with 38 followed by Arlington with 25. Now Archbishop Murphy moves on to a national teleconference competition on Monday.
“We are not worried. Whatever happens, we will have fun,” Archbishop Murphy junior Devin D’Angelo said.
This was the first time the team won a Hi-Q competition in the 36 years it has been held. Last year, they earned second place. Archbishop Murphy only has one senior on its roster.
“This is a special treat for all the new kids,” adviser Gail Wellenstein said.
Wellenstein had two students specialize in each category. That way, they could quiz each other during practices. They also interacted through Facebook, she said.
They will keep practicing to get ready for the national competition, which will be held via teleconference at Everett Community College, one of the main sponsors of the Hi-Q competition.
People can watch by attending the competition at 9 a.m. Monday Graywolf Hall, at 2000 Tower St., Everett. The match can also be seen online at www.everettcc.edu/enrollment/hiq afterward.
The championship marks the end of four months of competition where 13 teams of Snohomish and Island counties participated.
At nationals, Archbishop will compete against teams from Michigan, Alabama and Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania looks very well prepared based on their score,” said Amy Hammons, EvCC high school relations and Hi-Q coordinator. “But that not always tells the whole story.”
All schools were told the areas to study, so it’s a matter of luck which questions will be asked, Hammons said.
“The more you study, the luckier you get,” Hammons said.
Alejandro Dominguez:425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
The competitors
The students who participated in the regional Hi-Q championship were:
Archbishop Murphy High School — Devin D’Angelo; Alex Leat; Emi Phillips; Michael McIntosh; Paul McGoorty; Max Vilgalys; Annie Dang; Maggie Nolan. Adviser: Gail Wellenstein
Henry M. Jackson High School — Yitaek Hwang; Hannah Yoo; Gina Kim; Jessica Zhuge; Monica Black; Peter Haugen; Sai Nimmagadda; Eunice Chu; Matthew Spaw; Nathan Vallejos; Chris Steckler; Justin Cho. Adviser: Craig Bowen.
Arlington High School — Robert Kephart; Kyle Kilmer; Janey Foxe; Madeleine Fries; Frederick Stabell; Hannah Mendro; Spencer Lajoie; James Piscioneri. Advisers: Ben Mendro and Jane Joselow.
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