Freedom holds many clubs, extracurricular activities, and other things for students to do. Possibly one of the most beneficial ones is Academic Games. Academic Games is a fun and interactive club for students in grades fifth through twelfth.

“Academic Games are a series of different games. There are reader games: Propaganda, Presidents, and World Events. There are cube games, called Ling, [linguistics], and Equations that the students play against other kids from the county,” Mrs. Jennifer Glover, Academic Games coach, said.

Academic Games can be beneficial to the students in it. “They [the students] learn lots of different topics, depending on which game we’re talking about. For Equations, they have to learn and have really strong math skills. As of February, the game they were studying is Presidents, so they learn all about the U.S. presidents,” Glover stated. 

“I enjoy being in Academic Games, and I think it teaches you a lot of stuff about the real world,” stated Issac Mattern, Academic Games participant.

“My favorite part about it [the games] is knowing that you have the chance to go all around the country for nationals. It’s really cool,” Mattern said.  

As the final game of the season comes to an end, nationals come closer and closer. The nationals for Academic Games are a few days of events where students who qualify face other kids around the country. To qualify for nationals, you must qualify for two normal games, throughout the rest of the year. This year, the nationals are being held in Arlington, Virginia, which is right next to Washington, D.C. Academic Games are a vibrant opportunity for students to expand their knowledge. 

The following students have qualified for nationals: Naomi Kaskalavich, Lucas Schomburg, Lucas Miller, Teagan Antoline, Isaac Mattern, Jameson McGowan, Shane McGowan, Lincoln Murphy, Katelyn VanDeCar, Cooper Brien, and Olivia VanDeCar.