Out of VCI’s many fierce teams and clubs, perhaps the most intense -- Reach for the Top! Reach for the Top is a trivia based organization that is an opportunity for students to flex their trivia muscles. This academic quiz club has made its return to VCI, and has been running for the past four years.
Grade 12 students like Dylan Southam and Keira Peters have been part of the team since Grade 9. “Reach is so much fun! I feel like it brings us closer together and even if we don’t win, we all do our absolute best,” says Southam.
Peters says, “Reach for the Top is always the highlight of my week! I love the community that we have.”
Through this experience the students have made new connections with their teammates, with other teams, and have had intense rivalries. This past year, VCI’s intermediate and senior teams have practiced weekly at lunch and competed in tournaments in Virden, Deloraine, and the senior team has earned a spot at provincials in Winnipeg.
Want a taste of Reach for the Top? Categories can include animals, literary villains, mythology, math, musical theatre, and space.
Question types include Who/What Am I? chain questions - in which the answer to the previous is the topic of the next; themed questions - in which the answers all relate back to the theme; assigned questions; and many, many others.
Questions range from ‘Who wrote the song “Born in the U.S.A”?’ to ‘Which process converts acetyl coenzyme A into carbon dioxide and ATP, and takes place inside the mitochondria in eukaryotes?’
Obviously, the large spectrum of questions and themes requires a vast range of knowledge from the four-person teams. Each VCI student involved has their own strengths to contribute to the team.
Keira has memorized the countries and capitals of the world and is very good at geography. Dylan is an expert in music and musical theatre. Cody Thiessen knows his way around cars and sports. Natalie Draper comes in with her literary knowledge and pop culture. Olivia Mowez excels at 60s rock and biology. Daelyn Fefchak has in-depth knowledge pertaining to instruments, music, and mythology. Owen Andrew is our war and history buff. Sam Andrew is good at pop culture and dance. And Felicia Pringle is our favourite random guesser!
Other important team members include Ethan Gertz, Sarah Keown, Becca Collier, Mitchell Draper, Ryan Allard, Danïel Venter, Evan Terin, and Nathan Archambault.
Students are finishing off the year in a mini tournament playing alongside VCI staff on teams like ‘Clark’s Sharks’ and ‘The Quizzard of Oz.’ Mrs. Tapp, Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Eslinger, Mr. Kristof, Mr. Munchinsky, and Mrs. Peters all work to keep the program running and to them we give a huge thank you!
