The Crookston High School Knowledge Bowl season qualified for state this spring after placing first in every competition during the year. They were slated to compete at the state competition Friday before
the schools, and many other places throughout the state were closed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Three seniors from the team, Emily Gillette, Ben Brantner, and Walker Winjum, spoke with KROX over the weekend about missing the state competition and how distance learning is going.
Gillette joked that the team was undefeated, so “if we want to be unofficially first, I’m okay with that.”
Brantner said it was extra disappointing not to go because the team had such a good season. “I don’t know if we’d have won, but I’d say it was a little extra disappointing because we have such a good season,” said Brantner. “It’s not every year somebody gets a clean sweep.”
Winjum agreed with his teammates, and Gillette added she thought the top six could’ve been very doable. “I would agree with you guys,” said Winjum. “Last year we kind of placed in the middle and didn’t have as strong of a season. This year, with most of us being seniors and having a really strong regular season and advancing to state, I was anxious to see how we would’ve performed this year compared to last year. Maybe not first but close to placing in the competition.”
Brantner also said that beyond the competition, he was looking forward to a fun trip with his teammates. “Plus, we missed the trip and the song,” said Brantner. “The trip was so much fun last year. Probably because it went a little longer than it was supposed to – due to a snowstorm. I was looking forward to that for like, well, 11 months.”
The three seniors also talked about distance learning. Winjum said the hardest part of distance learning was staying on task. “It’s going alright,” said Winjum. “It’s hard to keep myself on task sometimes, but what I like most about it is getting to get up whenever I want. I don’t have to wake up at 7 a.m. anymore. I can sleep in until 9 a.m. and start school at 11 a.m. But it’s something that’s going to take some getting used to, just keeping yourself on task and getting all the assignments done.”
Brantner also likes the hours but said he misses the more interactive and fun classroom setting. “I would agree about the hours,” said Brantner. “That’s been nice. Now I can go to bed every night, well, I don’t want to expose myself, but very late. And I can wake up as late as I want, and I’ll still have time to do my work. I think from a work perspective, it’s not horrible. The stuff is kind of boring and not that interesting. But, you know, we’re not in a class, so what can the teachers do. It’s not like we can have lectures and see them. The worst part is not seeing the people.”
Winjum said while he doesn’t mind being independent for the schoolwork, it’s the being stuck at home and not spending the last couple of months with friends and teachers he’s grown up with that’s tough. Gillette added to that saying she missed seeing teachers and friends, and that she was also jealous of Winjum having siblings to spend the days with at home. “Everything I like about school is gone now,” said Gillette. “So, I’m very unmotivated, and if you ask me how many classes I have from homework for the week, the answer is four, and they’re all due tomorrow. So, yeah, everything I like about school is gone. I don’t get to see my teachers and my friends, or even just not being at home is wonderful, and now I just get to be stuck at home. Walker, I’m so jealous of you, I want siblings so bad right now. I wish mine still lived at home, because even though we get in fights, at least I’d have something to do.”
Winjum said his siblings keep things livelier and more entertaining. “It’s nice having my all my siblings here because it keeps it a little lively,” said Winjum. “There is stuff going on. Even if I’m stuck doing schoolwork, they are at least doing something, so I can talk to them or whatever. It keeps it a little more entertaining than if it was just me.”
The distance learning order from Governor Tim Walz currently runs through May 4, but we can all hope these seniors and others at home will get to spend some more time together before their high school careers end.
