Many Rho Kappa students are preparing to participate in Indiana Academic WorldQuest 2022 on Feb. 26. According to John Carter, who is a social studies teacher and sponsor of Rho Kappa, Academic WorldQuest is an international-relations-based competition across the country with 10 rounds of 10 questions revolving around different categories, which are released with a supplemental study guide each fall.

Carter said that students work in teams of four to compete. The top three teams at the state level move on to the national competition, which takes place in April. This year, the state competition will be virtual, and the national competition will also likely be virtual.

Regarding the preparation behind the event, David Lee, who is a junior and will participate in the competition, said, “A lot of time goes into studying the supplementals that are released in the fall. There is a lot of material to absorb and remember. It’s a pretty big time commitment, but hopefully, the hard work will pay off with success at the competition.”

However, success is not the only thing Lee hopes to gain out of the event. “Academic WorldQuest is a great opportunity to practice and develop a lot of valuable, intangible skills that will pay off in the future. With the preparation I’ve put into the event, I have practiced skills like dedication, time management and hard work. On top of that, I’ve developed my critical thinking and memory skills, while vastly expanding my knowledge about what is going on around the world,” he said.

Carter reflected Lee’s thoughts on how the competition can be beneficial for students. He said, “In addition to the content of foreign policy, world affairs and the history of diplomacy and

various topics, I think having an opportunity to compete, especially on their own time, teaches them something about self-discipline and self-efficacy. Also, when they go to the national level, they gain so many experiences through meeting different diplomats, hearing guest speakers, touring the Capitol and getting to meet with senators and stuff like that.”

As the competition quickly approaches, students are hastening their preparation. Lee said that he looks forward to competing and hopes to see Carmel on top. To learn more about the competition and how it works, click here. By Dariush Khurram.