Students, teachers match strategies in DeKalb High School chess competition
Published: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:30 p.m. CDT • Updated: Friday, March 27, 2015 12:03 a.m. CDT
By AIMEE BARROWS news@daily-chronicle.com
DeKALB – It was teacher vs. student after school Wednesday at the DeKalb High School Chess Club’s meeting.
Several teachers and administrators matched wits with the newly formed club’s members in a friendly competition, and ultimately, the teachers won after battling for almost two hours.
Gail Cappaert, an English as a second language teacher and the club’s faculty adviser, said the members thought it would be fun to take on their teachers, and it would also generate interest in the club, which formed in January.
“It’s great to see administrators and teachers interacting with the students,” she said. “It helps the students know who the administrators are, and it makes them more approachable. It shows they have an interest in the students.”
Tom Kim, athletics and activities director, stopped by the meeting for a quick game and won his match.
“I love chess, and I’ve played a long time,” Kim said. “This is a great game because it has a higher order of thinking skills. You make mistakes, but you learn from them. There’s a lot of strategy.”
Math teacher T.J. Fontana said he was lucky to win against one of the students.
“I play a little, but never on a competitive level,” he said. “But it’s good for students to play any type of strategic game, and to branch out and try something different. “