I’m a Tulsa Kid: Aaron Hockett – Booker T. Washington Academic Team Member
Tulsa Booker T. Washington High School Senior Aaron Hockett has participated on the school’s Academic Team since his freshman year. History is his favorite subject, and his team can rely on him to answer the history questions during an Academic Bowl match.
“I like history because it requires the most critical thinking of any subject,” Aaron said. And, Aaron is also the go-to Academic Team member for ice hockey questions. Outside of school, Aaron plays in his band, The Tandems. Over the summer, The Tandems recorded an EP in Nashville, which Aaron described as a “total blast.”
TK: How long have you been involved in Academic Team?
Aaron: I’ve been on Academic Team for six years. I was on Carver’s [Middle School] team for two years before arriving at Booker T. I’ve been on the team at Booker T. all four years. I originally joined Academic Team because I enjoyed all the people who were on the team. However, I started to enjoy the event for what it was. I enjoy challenging myself academically and putting all my useless knowledge to use [from] the countless hours that I spent watching random History Channel documentaries about things like Conquistadors, the plague, and the history of Canada’s southern border.
TK: Do you have a specific subject of expertise to help the Academic Team?
Aaron: I actually don’t have a specific area of expertise. I like to think of myself as someone who knows a little about a lot. However, any question that relates to hockey is directed towards me. I’m a lifelong fan of the sport and a lifelong fan of Chicago’s hockey team, the Blackhawks.
TK: How do you acquire information and facts to help your Academic Team?
Aaron: Most of my answers in Academic Team come from chance or luck. I’m not saying I’m like the kid from Slumdog Millionaire, but most of my answers do come from chance or happenstance. It might have been that one television show I watched, or that one book review I read. If my answer doesn’t come from chance, then it comes from the wealth of knowledge that I have gained at Booker T. Booker T’s education is the best possible preparation for any Academic Team match. Academic Bowl provides me with a broad range of knowledge. As I said earlier, I prefer to know a little about a lot. Academic Team is perfect for learning the essentials about a huge breadth of topics.
TK: Your team competed in the National Academic Bowl in Washington, D.C. this summer. What was that experience like?
Aaron: Competing at Nationals last year was a blast. It was particularly important because it was the senior year of our captain, and my very close friend, Jack Schaefer. The entire team had a great time in DC while we competed. All of our matches were competitive and exciting. I believe we were knocked out by the eventual champions. There’s no shame in losing to another great team.
