The Academic Superbowl team will attend its first competition on March 8 at Brebeuf Jesuit High School. The team will be challenged to prove its knowledge of the five primary subjects while facing intense competition from other Indiana schools.

“Right now is the final push before our first invitational,” club sponsor Matt Dillon said. “The squads should be meeting as much as once a week to try to master as much of the information as possible in order to be prepared.”

According to Rushvi Desai, Academic Superbowl science captain and senior, the first round of competition is an effective way to determine where the team’s strengths and weaknesses are. He has been officiating meetings about once a week, assuring that his fellow science competitors are ready to take on the steep competition from popular rivals like Brebeuf and North Central.

“The team captains are cracking down on practices and making sure that their members are fully prepared to come out of Brebeuf with a high standing and, of course, a learning experience for the betterment of the team for future competitions,” Desai said.

Like Desai, Dillon said he hopes to see many of his teams competing in the higher levels of competition this year. However, Dillon said he has tried to allow the captains to retain their independence in leading their individual groups, only interfering to give tips on how to handle absentee participants and “non-participatory” participants.

While the science squad has yet to compete in the State Competition at Purdue, Desai strives to get the competitors of his team there with recognition and minimal obstacles.

“First of all, going to State is prestigious, just as it is in any other academic competition or sport,” Desai said. “Also, there’s nothing wrong with bringing another trophy back to Carmel. By the first competition, my team will be ready. We have had consistent practices that are not only rigorous, but also that spark motivation in the teammates to do well this season for a sense of extracurricular achievement and pride in their hard work.”