Norman's Jake Perry – Student Spotlight presented by INTEGRIS Norman Express Care

Written by John Tranchina

Jake Perry enjoys both the unpredictable nature of the Academic Bowl as well as the responsibility of being a team leader, and it shows in his commitment and proficiency at it.

The Norman senior, as a team captain, has a major role in how it all plays out, and that aspect of it appeals to him as well.

“As far as how academic team goes, two teams face each other, four on each team – we buzz in and the captain is responsible for answering as the team for bonuses, so there’s lots of tough decisions to make with choosing what answer is right,” Perry explained. “I also have a bit in the say of how the team is organized and who the starting lineup is, so there are several responsibilities with making the team function and choosing how we’re going to present ourselves in our answers.”

“Jake has been a team member for all four of his years at Norman High,” added Norman academic team coach David Powell. “He strives for excellence, both for himself and his teammates. He leads his team by working hard to be successful. He is also pretty humble and recognizes that it is a team effort.”

The wide range of possibilities in the types of questions that are presented is a key attraction for Perry.

“I like how I have to study and be familiar with a diverse series of academic subjects and you never quite know what kind of a question you’re going to get,” Perry said. “In the nerdiest way, it’s exciting to hear what kind of trivia might end up being useful.

“Lots of people end up specializing in one area – for instance, I’m particularly good at history and geography, but I’m also forced to have a familiarity in art and literature, and that helps me, not only in classes, but I think just being a better person and being more well-rounded.”