At Union High School, there is an assortment of student-led clubs on campus, and it’s encouraged that students join them for reasons like fostering tight-knit communities and learning useful skills that you may end up enjoying! Here at our campus, we have a wide variety of clubs, but have you heard of our more competitive clubs on campus? In this article, we will feature TWO of our clubs, starting with Knowledge Bowl, a team-based academic competition that is open to anyone who has a thrill for the pursuit of knowledge.
Knowledge Bowl club leader Diego Kaperick describes the club as a really fun, laid-back, trivia competition game, with a good balance of educational prowess that looks good on a college application. Every year, Knowledge Bowl participates in a “Round Robin”, where each school in the Evergreen School District, or surrounding schools near Union, come together and split up into subteams (depending on the amount of people attending) and participate in a bracket-style competition. The participants are then split up into different rooms to play, and whoever accumulates the most points in a written style competition wins that round. There is also a “Jeopardy!” style round, where you have to hit a buzzer to answer a question. Whoever gets the most points total out of all 3 competitions comes out victorious. Diego states that it’s a good way to gain leadership experience in a team setting. Also according to him,“Everyone has their own little niche when it comes to knowledge, and everyone is valuable in the long run. You know, you have one question about the periodic table, and the next is about movies. Everyone can contribute in some way and it’s a very uplifting and good environment to surround yourself in.” Last year, Knowledge Bowl made it fourth at the Knowledge Bowl State Competition, so if you see a fellow Knowledge Bowl member, be sure to congratulate them and wish them luck on these next few competitions! If you’re considering joining this club, Knowledge Bowl meets every Tuesday and Friday in room 227, Mr. Wiitanen’s room after school! If you have questions, email [email protected] or [email protected]!
Finally, we showcase Speech & Debate, a nationwide organization that is based on the art of public speaking, argumentation, and debate. Students are able to research and present an argument on a topic they’re passionate about, and defend their stance against others at Competition Events. Junior Activities Director Alina Seigler, who is in her second year of Speech & Debate, describes the club as “a good way to network and meet new people.” She also stated that, “It’s a good way to get more outspoken, and I’ve gotten a lot better at public speaking and thinking on my feet.”
In Speech & Debate, there are monthly competitions with events catered to the speaking portion or the debate portion, and members can compete in these events, possibly even winning awards. Seigler participates in Lincoln-Douglas, which is a one-on-one speaking activity that focuses on moral and philosophical arguments. According to the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), it was originally named after the debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the Senate Race of 1858, where Lincoln tried to take Douglas’s seat in the Senate, challenging him to a series of debates.
On top of this event, there are also many speech events that range from impromptu speaking to a planned speech called oratory in which you are not actively arguing. If you’re considering joining this club and its many events, Speech & Debate meets every Monday and Thursday after school, and Fridays during lunch in room 103! If you have questions, email [email protected] or [email protected]!
Just remember: these are only two of many of our wonderful clubs here at Union. If you’re stuck between what you should join, consider one of the ones we’ve talked about in this article! Students should also check out our 2025-26 UHS club list to check out the full catalogue of our clubs and activities.
