On Dec. 2, ASB hosted an All-Academic Team bonding event, where members of Arcadia High School’s (AHS) academic teams from all grade levels destressed over refreshments and games as they created new friendships and connected with friends on other teams.

At scattered tables around the multi-purpose room (MPR), members of AHS’ academic teams snacked on cookies, chips, and other refreshments as they mingled with members and teacher advisors from other teams. As they scooted between tables and across the room in wheely chairs, participants had the opportunity to put their skills to use in traditional card games like Spoons and Speed, unconventional card games like Exploding Kittens, board games like Monopoly and Connect 4, and even games of chess and Minesweeper. 

“I played chess with one of my friends, Xing, and it was a really intense game until I blundered and lost, but it was still very fun!” said junior Jack Lu, a member of Math Team. “I also met a lot of new people and discovered that we had a lot in common. I enjoyed being able to hear all the laughter and excitement in the room during the event.”

Indeed, the event allowed members from AHS’ many teams, who often don’t interact with each other, to meet and bond over shared interests, as students dressed in red Science Olympiad shirts and blue Science Bowl hoodies excitedly conversed with members of Speech & Debate and Constitution team clad in black jackets over games of chess and Uno. Some particularly studious participants even used the time to discuss homework and classes with classmates they hadn’t even known competed on other academic teams.

“It was great seeing people from other academic teams in one setting,” said senior Darren Kuo, a member of Quiz Bowl and History Bowl. “Even though being competitive on an academic team can be stressful at times, this event was a great way to relax and meet new people—I was able to have a conversation with people I’ve seen before but not spoken to, and although we are from different teams, we were able to find a lot of common ground, like dealing with physics homework.”

As the clock neared 4:40 p.m. and the afternoon sky beyond the window blinds of the MPR darkened into evening, participants cleaned off the tables, posed for photos with new friends, boxed leftover refreshments, and loaded away board games before rearranging folded tables and chairs back into neat rows to conclude an exciting event.

With academic teams playing an irreplaceable role in enriching AHS’ diverse environment, the bonding event provided a rare opportunity for members of all teams to interact, allowing these students to take a breather from preparing for approaching finals and various academic competitions. Thank you to ASB and everyone who showed up, and we look forward to future bonding events and more activities involving our school’s academic teams later throughout the school year!

Photos by STEPHANIE WANG