With the annual Truman Library High School Trivia Contest coming up next month, the History Club has been studying this year’s topic, which is the three branches of government. After winning the competition last year, the students have been busy reading, researching and quizzing one another over the topic in order to prepare for the competition, which will be held at the Truman Library in Independence on Oct. 21.

The History Club’s win last year was the first for Southwest after placing in second and third in the past two years. The big win has put pressure on the team to perform just as well this year and bring home the gold trophy again.

“I haven’t really gotten nervous in the past, but now we kind of have a target on our back,” said History Club President senior Emma Stewart. “We won it [last year.] We feel like we have to do it again. Now I’m a little bit more nervous, and it’s also my last year so I have to do it.”

According to trumanlibrary.org, at the Truman Library High School Trivia Contest teams compete in five rounds of ten questions. The team has 30 seconds to answer each question, which include a variety of multiple choice, true/false, audio and video questions.

The win came as somewhat of a surprise to Stewart, who found the last year’s competition to be a tough one.

“[It was] actually kind of [a surprise that we won],” Stewart said. “The questions were really hard. I think we ended up getting 24 out of 50 questions right and still won, so it was very difficult. We thought we did really awful, but I guess it was harder for everyone else.”

At last year’s tournament the team had to answer questions regarding presidential elections, which included questions such as naming the first four vice presidents, naming the four Whig Party presidents and naming campaign slogans.

“[To prepare] we each took a chunk of U.S. presidential history and learned everything we could about it,” second year member junior Wyatt Risovi-Hendrickson said.

With the stakes high this year, Stewart and sponsor history teacher Michael Ortmann have been preparing for team tryouts. Team hopefuls will take a written and oral quiz about the three branches of government. Those who score the best will become members of the competition team.

“[I am] looking forward for tryouts for the Truman Library competition,” team member hopeful sophomore Seth Wingerter said. “I would just like to make the team. Regardless of who’s on it, I want them to win [the Truman Library High School Trivia Contest].”

Along with competing at the Truman Library High School Trivia Contest, the History Club also engages in other activities at meetings.

“As the president, I figure out what we’re going to do at all the meetings,” Stewart said. “We have a roadshow every year where we bring in different artifacts and talk about them. We have speakers. Sometimes we play history games.”

Stewart would strongly encourage students to join to the club, which she says she enjoys because it’s a laidback environment and she gets to be with people who share a common interest in history.

“It’s really casual,” Stewart said. “We all get together and talk about history. I think people should join the club because it’s really fun. It’s a great way to get involved.”

Risovi-Hendrickson is also looking forward to new members getting involved in the club.

“[Students should join because] it allows you to expand your involvement with the school,” he said. “You absolutely need to get involved because it’s a good way to make friends. It’s just a great experience.”