The annual PENNCREST School District Hi-Q competition will be held on May 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. in the Cambridge Springs High School auditorium. The Hi-Q teams from all three schools compete against each other in a series of three rounds. Each team has four members on stage at a time. They are allowed to switch team members at the end of each round.
HI-Q is a trivia competition where all three teams are asked a question that any team can buzz to answer. The team that buzzes first gets a chance to answer for ten points; if they are correct, they get asked a set of three questions, each question being worth ten points. If at any point they get the questions wrong, they are not penalized. The team is only deducted points if they answer the question after cutting off the presenter before they finish asking the question.
If the team answers the question incorrectly before winning their set of team questions, another team can steal the answer and earn the next question set. Topics that the questions are about range from arithmetic, science, psychology, pop culture, literature, geography, politics, history, and more. A strategy often used is dividing the topics up amongst teammates so you have a team member on stage at all times that knows common knowledge on every topic.
This year, Saegertown has five students competing over all three rounds. They also have team members not competing but cheering on the others from the audience. The team members competing are seniors Jordan Deeter, Camden Gjovik, and Frederick Smith, along with juniors Brody Evans and Brady Williams. Other team members include seniors Nolan Hughes and Travis Huya and junior Camryn Harakal.
Last year, Saegertown’s team came in second place, with Cambridge placing first and Maplewood placing third. Every team receives a gold, silver, or bronze medal for their efforts. This year, Saegertown is looking to take first place with their new advisor, Mrs. Astor. Astor had previously been Cambridge’s coach so they are hoping she brings good luck. It should be interesting to see Astor coach against her old team and even her own children.
“As a first-year member, this is a whole new experience,” junior Brady Williams said. “I like to think I have a vast knowledge of random, useless information that should, in theory, prove beneficial.”