Carroll Community College and Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) sponsored the Carroll Academic Challenge, a day-long event held on Saturday, March 29 in the Theater in the Scott Center starting at 9 a.m.

The Carroll Academic Challenge is a friendly competition between students from all the high schools in Carroll County. Each of the public high schools in the county selects a team of students to represent their school.

“The event provides motivation for high school students to celebrate academics and rewards them for their outstanding efforts,” said college faculty member Bill Warburton, who produces the event each year along with a committee of public school representatives and college staff and faculty.

“Carroll County Public Schools have athletic and band competitions, so it is nice for our students to have a competition that allows them to highlight the academic skills they are acquiring in the classroom,” said Steve Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction.

Students on each team are given questions from the disciplines of science, math, literature, and history, among others. Students receive points for correct answers. The top three schools compete in a final match at the end of the day to determine the winner.

A team of independent judges monitors rules and addresses any disputes that may arise. Teams practice with test questions for months in advance, with the assistance of coaches from their schools.

Mr. Warburton said it takes the effort of many individuals to coordinate the activities of the day. “Numerous professional staff, full-time and adjunct faculty, and support personnel are involved in planning. I would like to especially acknowledge Alan Bogage, Library Director, who coordinates the judges and the questions for our database. I would like to thank Bev Woerner and her staff for coordinating volunteers to operate the cameras and edit the tapes to broadcast on the local cable channels. Special recognition goes to Patti Davis and her technical staff, who ensure that the necessary hardware and software are in place. Finally, I want to thank the administrations at the college and at CCPS for support of this event year after year,” said Mr. Warburton.

Dwight Dingle of WTTR radio served as the moderator, presenting the questions to the students during the competition.

Bill Warburton

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