Students from across Porter County gathered on the campus of Purdue University North Central Wednesday evening to compete in a meeting of the minds; an Academic Super Bowl Invitational. Participants from nine high schools, including: Boone Grove, Chesterton, Hebron, Kouts, Morgan Township, Portage, Valparaiso, Washington Township and Wheeler, met to battle each other in six different subjects: Math, English, Science, Fine Arts, Social Studies, and an Interdisciplinary category.
Participants from nine high schools, including: Boone Grove, Chesterton, Hebron, Kouts, Morgan Township, Portage, Valparaiso, Washington Township and Wheeler, met to battle each other in six different subjects: Math, English, Science, Fine Arts, Social Studies, and an Interdisciplinary category. Twenty-five questions were posed in each category with the points totaled and winners declared after all subjects had been covered.
Chesterton, Washington Township, and Valparaiso came away as winners. Each won two subjects with Valparaiso also claiming the overall trophy with the most point’s total.
This is the eighth academic event in nine years at PNC and marks the first time that all high schools in Porter County were able to attend.
Leslie Plesac and Susan Brychell were in charge of coordinating the event through Purdue University, and the Indiana Association of School Principals which oversee the materials covered in the questions at both invitational and state competitions.
“In the past, one or two schools wouldn’t make it, or would drop out, so we’re really happy to have all of them this year,” Plesac said.
Aside from bragging rights, the invitational is free and just for fun.
“It serves as good practice for the state competition,” she added, which takes place on April 21st.
Another benefit of hosting the competition is getting these future college students on to the Purdue North Central campus in Westville.
“We wanted to bring the kids to campus and let them see what we have to offer,” said Plesac.
The event is hugely successful at drawing students on to the campus, and helps to raise enrollment year after year.