Academic teams and activities are gearing up to start their seasons on a good note by hosting their beginning-
of-the-year practices and tryouts. Students, new and returning, are rushing to audition for some of the great non-athletic teams that school has to offer.
Teams such as Speech and Mock Trial are supplements to sports and other activities, improving a wide range
of skills such as effective communication, eloquence, and professionalism.
Many activities have already started practicing, having held their auditions and interest meetings during the past few weeks.
The Speech team, also known as Forensics, held their tryouts on Sept. 2 with a callback later. The team reported a large turnout with an abundance of talent and skills, and recently welcomed their new members with
their first team meeting. The Speech team is a competitive activity in which students compete in 14 events, including both public speaking and acting events.
Mr. Wilbur, social studies teacher and Forensics coach, said he is looking forward to the upcoming season, getting to know the novices, and watching kids grow.
“I think everyone has individual goals that they’re hoping to achieve, so my goal is to help those people reach their goals,” Wilbur said. “Our goal is to make kids better people and better communicators.”
Other teams, such as JETS and Mock Trial, are getting ready to see fresh faces and new skills as they hold upcoming tryouts. JETS, the award winning competition team competing in engineering, mathematics,
biology and more, are eagerly awaiting the season’s beginning.
“This year, we want to have fun, food, and bring home some gaudy hardware,” says Joseph Liaw, HC science teacher and JETS co-sponsor.
JETS involves test-taking tournaments in a variety of subjects through the Academic Challenge of Engineering and Science. Originally called Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering, ACES was founded at the University of Illinois in 1975 and has continued to grow since. The JETS team has historically been quite successful.
“Last year we had seven or eight students in the top ten for State,” Liaw added. Liaw describes the community that JETS offers, explaining that varsity seniors often help lowerclassmen JV team members to improve
their knowledge of their subject.
Liaw particularly values the flexibility that the team provides, adding that “JETS can fit in
between other [activities].”
JETS tryouts will be coming up soon. To find out more, see Mr. Liaw or Mr. Jacobson in the science department.
The Mock Trial team has also had numerous successes in the past, placing top ten at the Illinois State Bar Association’s annual invitational last year. According to Kelly Owens, social studies teacher and team
coach, Mock Trial is an activity in which students simulate court proceedings, playing both the defense and the prosecution sides of the same case throughout the season.
Owens added that a twist of the competition is that the team doesn’t know whether they’ll be the defense or prosecution ahead of tournaments.
“There’s that element of the unknown, which makes it fun,” Owens said.
Mock Trial tryouts are set to be Oct. 22, along with a pre-tryout workshop on Oct. 17 after school in the library.
Those interested can sign up on Infinite Campus beginning on Oct. 1.
“We’re looking for confident public speakers [and] people who can take directions,” Owens said. “We need amenable people [and] people eager to learn.”
