Patton qualifies for national quiz championship

But can the team afford to go?

By: Staff reports | Morganton News Herald
Published: April 14, 2009

Robert L. Patton High School's quiz bowl squad will represent North Carolina in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments' championship.
If, that is, Patton's students can raise the money to make the trip to Chicago in May.
No one anticipated that the young team — the school itself is in only its second year of operation — would qualify for a national competition. Only 192 teams from across the United States receive NAQT invitations. Five qualified from North Carolina and four received invitations — Patton in Morganton, Providence Day School in Charlotte, Salisbury High School in Salisbury and Jay M. Robinson High in Concord. Neither the Burke County Public Schools district nor the high school — or, for that matter, the parents or the students — budgeted funds for a trip to the championships.
The squad currently is seeking donations to help pay registration, transportation and hotel costs for two four-person teams.
The NAQT competition takes place May 29-31 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago.
Quiz bowl is a high-speed, rapid-fire test of students' knowledge with an emphasis on math, literature, history, science, sports, art and music and current events. Students typically have less than 10 seconds to answer questions during 12-minute rounds.
Patton's quiz bowl squad qualified for the national competition at the Western North Carolina Shootout on March 14 at South Caldwell High School. Patton's first team compiled a 5-1 record in round-robin play, losing only to eventual semifinalist Greensboro Day. Patton then defeated a Freedom High School team to qualify for the playoff rounds. Patton lost in the semifinals to Cave Spring High School of Roanoke, Va., the tournament winner, but secured third place by earlier defeating another semifinalist, Gaston Day.
Patton High's first team is seniors Nitin Joshi and Yesi Pedro Vicente and juniors Bradley Hicks, Nick Jenkins and Michael Welker. Other members of Patton's quiz bowl squad are senior Adam Shaw; juniors Courtney Duckworth, Abby Killam and Joseph Mathis; and sophomore Julia Singley.
Penny Jenkins sponsors and coaches quiz bowl at Patton.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to the team's fundraising efforts should contact Jenkins by phone at 439-3754 or by e-mail to pjenkins@burke.k12.nc.us.