The year is 2000, and as you turn on your TV to watch a new episode of your favorite show, “High Five Challenge,” you notice that West Albany High School is one of the schools competing on the show.
“High Five Challenge” was a show similar to “Jeopardy” or even “Family Feud” The contestants on the High Five Quiz Club from the chosen schools would prepare for being on the show by reviewing questions and the dress code, and understanding what it was like to be filmed.
The High Five Quiz Club was a club at WAHS that lasted over a decade, and students from all over the Pacific Northwest were able to compete for their school on the show “High Five Challenge.” The competing students would be asked questions of all varieties about Oregon, television shows of the time, and many other categories. The rewards for winning included a participation prize and a donation to the school.
“The [club] got together and practiced trivia questions. We practiced, and then the club got to go to Portland, and they competed against [other] high schools,” former advisor and current science teacher Kelli Backer said. “It was on TV then, so that was pretty fun.”
The West Albany team even made it onto an episode of the show. “I believe we only went one time when I was the advisor. I got to meet Wayne Faligowski,” Backer said. Faligowski was the host of the TV show and is an alumnus of West Albany High School.
“High Five Challenge” ended in 2009, but that doesn’t mean that Backer wouldn’t like to see the club come back one day. “I think West Albany has a bunch of students that would enjoy something of that nature and get pretty involved in it,” Backer said. “I would like to see it come back again.”
Backer believes that students should be able to have the opportunity to compete with academics. “I would definitely [advise the club] again.”
While this club may have ended a decade ago and the show was canceled, that doesn’t mean it can’t come back, and it is clear that an adviser is present if students choose to revive this club.
