Reach For The Top

18 January 2012Taryn O

At Brentwood we are taught to strive for excellence, to shoot for the moon, to reach for the top. This past Friday, students were given a treat: prep was exchanged for a night in the Killy Theatre, and weary brains were given a break from the exhausting concepts presented by our teachers. Interhouse colours were donned for an exciting event in which students were given an opportunity to earn points for their competitive houses in an academic fashion.

Reach For The Top is a night for those students who have become so acquainted with Google that their brains are encyclopedic. When presented with a single date these students could tell you that the object you’re attempting to define is the Stanley Cup, or upon hearing that “this person was adopted”, they can correctly and immediately identify Steve Jobs. The mind boggles!

Each competitive house has two teams, one junior and one senior. Teams are composed of four students each: two girls and two boys. Starting off the night were the junior semifinals, from which Whittall and Ellis advanced to the final round. Following the juniors were the senior semi-finals, where Ellis and Rogers proved that their brains could battle with the best.

In the final rounds, Ellis arose triumphant – at both the junior and senior levels – with House Captain Ross L leading the senior team to victory with a timely response to a tie-breaking question regarding the post-secondary education of Mr. McCarthy, Brentwood’s Dean of Academics and Cambridge scholar. As it turns out, paying attention in chemistry class pays off.

One may think that to sit on stage and answer questions is no big deal, no cause to break a sweat, but much respect was earned for the brave few who took a seat in front of their peers to share their knowledge. Some contestants, myself included, found the experience to be illuminating in terms of character. Personally, I learned that my stage fright is much larger than I had imagined it to be, although others found themselves excelling when faced with the pressure of an audience.

The competition was friendly, but reflexes were quick, as hands remained poised over their respective switches. To eclipse the competition in a battle of Reach For The Top, one must be at the “top” of their game, with agile fingers ready to attack the buzzer. Mr. Felix acted as score keeper for the eight rounds of questions, while Mr. Bryant was honored with the position of Question Master for the night, although he had to brave many argumentative students in their quest for victory.

Interhouse events are always highly anticipated as they promote participation from much of the student body. This Jeopardy style contest is a great exhibition for students to show their talents, and a delightful excuse for a night away from the pull of homework.

Taryn O

Where Students Choose To Be