On October 20, members of the Linganore Academic Team departed for the WJZ-TV television station in Baltimore to compete on the It’s Academic quiz show.  They competed against two Baltimore County schools,  Landsdowne and Mt. St. Joseph.  Be sure to tune in on December 15 to see who won!

This program, which has been on the air since 1961, has been declared the world’s longest-running game show showcasing student achievement in academics. High school students from all over the country compete on It’s Academic through its regional programs.

The three competitors who represented Linganore were senior Gunnar Ecklund, junior Gerald Fattah, and junior Dana Kullgren. Their coach, physics teacher Christopher Hahn, is the teacher sponsor for the Academic Team. He has been taking students to compete on It’s Academic for over ten years.

The team is strong in math and history.  The most important skill is buzzing in quickly.  Since the questions are often a little easier than the questions during the regular season, speed is the essence of success.

“I love seeing you guys having a good time when you’re up there. Even before the show started, you were joking and having fun,” said Hahn after the match.

Ecklund said that he didn’t have very high expectations for being on the show and that he was a little nervous beforehand.

Fattah said that he wasn’t that confident about being on the show, but he noted, “I felt a lot better when I realized Gunnar was going to be on the team.”

In addition to this annual event, the Linganore Academic Team also participates in weekly competitions against other FCPS schools in January and February. Practices will begin in early November.

Ecklund said that his favorite part of being on the Academic Team is hanging out with friends during practice and going to competitions.

Keep an eye out for a notification from FindOutFirst, the FCPS email service, at the beginning of November to find out when practice will start.

To anyone who is thinking of joining the team, but isn’t sure it’s right for them, Hahn said, “They should come out and try it. There’s no pressure or commitment, and they can leave at any time, but if they have fun, they’re welcome to stay.”