LQ Snatches Second Place at WorldQuest
On Dec. 7, La Quinta High’s WorldQuest team won second place in a local academic competition, beating out ten other schools. Palm Valley High placed third, while Palm Desert High won first place.
Each year, teams from schools across the Coachella Valley compete in Academic WorldQuest, a competition concerning current international events. The teams are tested in five ten-question rounds on four specific topics and another broader topic.
The topics vary from year to year; this year, the topics were NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) at 50, India’s Bid for Global Power, Saudi Arabia, and Great Decisions, the broader topic that concerned a variety of global topics.
The teams consist of four members, with the option of an alternate member as well. Coached by history teacher Mr. Klockenteger, LQ’s team consisted solely of seniors: Melisa Sandoval, Kaela Alagos, Jessica Porrelli, and Andrew Sitko.
Last year, the same four students competed in Academic WorldQuest, earning LQ sixth place. This year’s second place win represents a big improvement from last year, but that’s not the only thing the team gained: with this competition, the group has grown thick as thieves.
“Compared to last year, even though we were nervous [about this year’s competition], we had a lot more fun. As a team, we got a lot closer, even with Klockenteger,” commented Alagos, the team’s expert on India’s Bid for Global Power. Wistfully, she added, addressing her teammates and her coach, “Y’all are my lifelong buddies.”
Jessica Porrelli is the news editor for La Quinta High School’s Hawkview. She hopes to bring the school high-quality news stories, free of grammatical errors. She has successfully completed three years of high school; her high school diploma and International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma are forthcoming....
Thao Nguyen is the assistant editor for La Quinta High School's newspaper, the Hawkview. She strives to contribute fresh, quality content for this school year as the Hawkview enters the digital age. As a member of the graduating Class of 2018, she is well on her way to earning an IB Certificate and plans...
Linda Holt ♦ Dec 17, 2017 at 7:01 am
Good job, Blackhawk WorldQuest team! I am proud of your efforts to understand current events on planet Earth, and glad that your teamwork resulted in friendships as well.