The UIL academic team prepares for the Fearless Champions meet at Texas Tech on Feb. 14, and with only two practice meets remaining before district in Monahans on March 24 and April 2, teams are being finalized.
The academic team minus speech earned 209 points and the overall championship at the Red Raider Classic on Jan. 17.
Senior Serena Wiebe placed fourth in literary criticism.
“I read a lot of books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Ice Man Cometh,” Wiebe said. “I like reading to understand why it made an impact in history and to back it up in lit. crit.”
The journalism team took first overall with 117 points. Junior Mattie Hice took three medals at the meet.
“I compete in editorial, headline and feature writing,” Hice said. “I like writing because I’m able to be creative, and I understand what to do and follow the rules.”
Hice got into journalism the second semester of her sophomore year. She started by competing in only headlines then continued to work on features and editorials. She eventually qualified for state, placing third in headlines.
“I use old competitions as practices,” Hice said. “My coach, Ms. Williamson, grades them and gives me feed back. I’ve seen consistency and improvement in my performance as well as how practice does help.”
Senior Eva Thiessen has competed for UIL since she was in fifth grade. She competes in all three mathematics contests.
“I’m math-focused,” Thiessen said. “I like to challenge myself, and (UIL) gives information more in depth since teachers don’t have time.”
The Red Raider Classic was junior Camila Jimenez’s first UIL meet, and she took fifth in ready writing.
“I’m confident,” Jimenez said. “In my free time, I read more and my essay structure has gotten better. I also try to have a voice in my writing.”
The speech team competes in Texas Forensics Association and National Speech and Debate Association competitions to prepare for UIL competition. The one-act play chose Paganini as its contest show, which will compete in district on March 5 in Seminole. Senior Reese Dickson has competed in UIL one-act play and speech throughout high school.
“I like acting because it’s giving a message and can change a person’s point of view and can make them feel the emotions,” Dickson said. “It’s really powerful. I read what I care about and show how passionate I am to make them care.”
Dickson has switched from his previous speech competitions to something he can interpret better.
“I used to do poetry, but I switched to prose,” Dickson said. “It’s easier for me to interpret and make something out of it. My coach helps me make it more impactful and more clean.”
Junior Avery Wood competes in mathematics under the tutelage of math teacher Anthony Newberry..
“This is my first time competing,” Wood said. “Mr. Newberry is a great coach. He makes us take tests, and then he teaches us new strategies and problem-solving techniques.”
All the contests including speech and one-act play combine for district, region and state points. Last year, the combined teams were both district and region champions, finishing 15th overall at the state meet.
