10 Michigan City High School students at the 2025 Japanese Olympiad of Indiana (JOI) at Depauw University on February 22, 2025. They showcased their dedication and skill while competing against nearly 100 students from 9 high schools. Several teams finished just shy of the finals. Their impressive performances, particularly at the highly competitive Level 2, highlight a promising future for the program.
At Level 4, City was represented by Natalie White and Zoe Brooks on one team, and Nathan Groszek and Vivian Taylor on the other. Both teams performed well, securing 5th and 6th place.
The Level 3 team of Jimmy Biela, Torey Morris, and Makenna Nowatzke had a strong competition, narrowly missing the finals by just two questions and placing 5th overall.
Level 2, the most challenging due to the large number of competitors, saw two MCHS teams competing: Angelia Black and Kaeli LaGrand on one team, and Ryan Fisher, Makayla Sardon, and Cam Hernandez on the other. Both teams, consisting exclusively of first-time contender sophomores, delivered what may be the best Level 2 results in City’s history. Both teams scored over 100 points, finishing 4th and 5th overall, falling short of the Top 3, and thus the finals, by merely half a question. With two more years of eligibility, these students have an incredibly bright future ahead.
JOI is an annual, day-long academic tournament for high school students studying Japanese. This year’s competition included Lafayette Jefferson, Bloomington North, Chesterton, Fort Wayne Carroll, Highland, Wabash, Michigan City, Columbus North, Muncie Central, and Penn. Teams compete in a playoff format, with only the top three advancing to the finals. The competition is judged by native-speaking Japanese professors from Indiana University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Purdue University, DePauw, and Earlham College.
Beyond the competition, participants and spectators had the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese culture through activities such as origami, traditional yukata (cotton kimono) dressing, calligraphy, and kendama. A highlight of the event was an electrifying performance of Taiko, traditional Japanese drumming.
Tsugawa Sensei is proud of all the competitors and wants to encourage all Wolves, regardless of their sport or skill, to take pride in what they do. “When we work hard for our goals, we are as good as any students in the state!” he remarked. Sensei is also grateful to Drew White for accompanying the team and capturing memorable photos.
For more information about the Japanese Olympiad of Indiana or the Michigan City High School Japanese program, please contact Michael Tsugawa: mtsugawa@mcas.k12.in.us