ANDOVER — Unlike an academic test, Andover’s “High School Quiz Show” team members can’t simply study their way to victory.
Instead, the students say they mostly absorb information from the environment around them.
“Really practicing is just absorbing information in your day-to-day life,” said Liam Bennett, 16. “Keeping up with the news or even just reading books, learning as many facts as I guess you can fit into your head.”
The students are part of a trivia competition where teams from high schools across Massachusetts compete in a show produced and broadcast by public television station WGBH.
Bennett first joined the team as a freshman two years ago.
“I had always enjoyed watching shows like “Jeopardy,’” he said. “I was able to make the team my freshman year and I have done it ever since.”
Some of the team members said they began with competing in geography competitions in middle school and this felt like an evolution.
Part of the training includes practicing with the game show buzzers, said team coach Alan Hibino.
Their overall strategy is “divide and conquer,” said Hibino. Figure out individual strengths, including in more niche categories like war and geography and what subjects students will need to focus on.
Aniketh Sherigar, 16, specializes in geography and history, but he also has to hoover up information on subjects he is less comfortable with, like literature.
“I think it can make it more interesting overall, but sometimes it can make it more of a challenge especially during a competition,” he said.
The students said the group aspect of the competition also makes it more stressful.
“It’s not about being on TV, that has never been an issue, but to just know that I am part of a team and my actions can potentially negatively affect all of us,” Luke Suh, 17, said. “I think that is really the biggest thing on my mind as I am competing.”
“Just knowing that the stakes are higher,” said Bennett. “Making sure I can get everything I have in my head out.”
“There is definitely a lot of frustration, you know when you have something on the tip of your tongue and maybe the other team buzzes in right before you could,” Bennett said.
“I’ll shake my head or do some other frustrated gesture,” he added.
Bennett said it is important that players keep their cool and not think about the last question.
The team meets as a group only about an hour every week.
“It’s more so finding things that we are interested in and expanding upon our knowledge and maybe finding subjects that we are not as strong in,” said Bennett.
“The majority of our preparation has really come from the environment around us,” 17-year-old Collin Souza said.
While others said they get their information from classes, watching the news or reading articles online, Souza said much comes via popular apps.
“Most of my information comes from social media,” said Souza, referring to where he gets his news.
The season debuted Saturday while the first episode featuring the Andover team will be featured on Feb. 24. A team from Phillips Academy will also be joining the fray on March 30.
More information on the show can be found online at wgbh.org/tv-shows/high-school-quiz-show.