The Academic Quiz comes around every year and the Year 7 and 8s have the opportunity to push their skills to the limit.

The quiz not only has math and subjects from school but other more subjects like sports, economy and music so you don’t have to know about every subject as you will have a team of 5 other students who know what they are doing as well as supporting you.

This year Mapua School submitted two teams. A year seven team and a year eight team. On the night of the 11th June the two teams set off to Nelson Intermediate. They arrived there and were welcomed warmly and got to choose where to sit. The leaders of the two teams were Georgie (year 7) and Emily (year 8). Each table had a bowl of sweets and a champagne bottle full of water and a couple of sheets of paper for the answers on the subjects that we had researched.These subjects were the Olympic Games Ancient and Modern, the Wall Street Crash, Fictional Languages, The Future of Science, The “Back to the Future” Movies, Maori Myths and Legends, The Millennium and The Swinging Sixties. As part of the quiz the teams were asked to dress up according to their team name. The Year 8’s theme was “Purple Revival” (last year they were “Purple People Eaters”) so they all came in purple and the Year 7s came as “The Mad Hatters,” with lots of crazy colourful hats on their heads. By the time everyone arrived, the noise was horrendously loud and the excitement was bouncing off the walls. Then the quiz began and the noise lowered to quiet murmurs. At first when the questions started the nerves rocketed up to the ceiling. Once that round was over everyone was more settled and laughter and jokes were spreading like a virus. Everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves. Soon people came round with chips and more water. The questions got harder and harder but the atmosphere stayed fun, if you looked around you saw smiling faces. Soon they handed in their final paper and waited excitedly (as well nervously) for the results. The host took to the stage and announced the winners.The Purple Revival came 6th and The Mad Hatters came 5th. Then came best dressed and most creative answers, the creative answers awards went to the groups who had the funniest, wackiest answers. The Academic Quiz was a overall success for both Mapua teams and we all enjoyed the night greatly.

By Emily and Sophie.