As the Wheeling Scholastic Bowl team prepares for the challenging season ahead, they are determined to secure some wins. Although they’ve faced tough matches, they persist as a team. With a lineup full of smart, dedicated students and a shared drive for success, the team is confident they will succeed in the 2024-2025 season.

You may be asking yourself, “What is Scholastic Bowl?” Well, Scholastic Bowl is a quiz competition where teams of students compete by answering academic questions from a variety of subjects. The game is similar to a trivia contest but with a focus on more rigorous topics. 

This year’s JV team, coached by Cindy Carro, an English teacher here at Wheeling, consists of an entirely new lineup of freshmen and sophomores. With little to no experience together, the team is filled with energy and anticipation as the season quickly approaches. The novices are eager to become experts in their topics of interest and face new challenges as a group.

On the other hand, the varsity team consists of our Scholastic Bowl experts. Coached by Elizabeth Lennon, the newly promoted squad is impatient for the start of the season’s official start. Blanka Stolarczyk, a junior, has been part of the Scholastic Bowl family for three years. When asked what makes her want to come back every year, she responded, “The environment is what makes me want to come back, the friends, the fun we have, whether we know the answer to the questions or not. We get to hang out together and eat snacks and answer some fun questions.” She believes that what excites her each year is getting to know new people and learning a wider range of topics.

Although Scholastic Bowl has been part of the Wheeling family for many years, lots of individuals have not heard of this amazing opportunity for students to learn a variety of facts. People should join Scholastic Bowl for “the learning, the community, and the silly laughs,” says Stolarczyk. 

If you are interested, join the team every Tuesday for practice, and look forward to both teams’ meets throughout the winter season. The official season starts on January 16 at Buffalo Grove, against the rival host school and Prospect.