Whether you’re interested in classic novels or plant biology, UIL has a subject that you can compete in.
UIL, standing for University Interscholastic League, is a STEM and humanities competition in Texas. It hosts high school competitions for a wide variety of topics, including journalism, science, math, theater, and more. It was created by the University of Texas at Austin in 1910 and is now the biggest statewide competition of its kind in the US. With an aim at cultivating passion and education in middle to high school students, UIL is an amazing competitive organization.
Depending on which test you choose to compete in, the rules may differ. For most tests, you will be given a time limit in which you must perform the assignment during. These assignments may include filling out an answer sheet or reading a literature piece. In other cases such as UIL orchestra, choir, band, etc., specific instructions will be given.
Tests are held periodically throughout the year, and usually are higher in difficulty as time goes on. The 4 main stages of UIL include invitationals, district, regionals, and state. To move on to the next stage, you must either a) score in the top 3 of your subject, b) win a specific sub-subject(e.g. win biology in the Science category), or c) win with your school team. There may also be special cases in which a school/individual moves forward, such as Wild Card, which allows the second-highest scoring team to continue in the competition.
To be involved in UIL at Lubbock High, ask your teachers(list included below) on how to register and study. Registering is simple; ask your teachers to sign you up for the test. LISD provides the funding to participate in UIL competitions. Studying for your subject will mostly be done by you, the student. Since UIL is an extracurricular activity, the responsibility for preparing for the tests is put on the competitor. However, Lubbock High does offer some UIL classes, such as UIL Math and UIL Humanities.
Overall, UIL is a very worthwhile experience for high school students. It looks good on college applications, allows you to compete in your passions, and promotes education amongst the community.
UIL Teachers:
Journalism: Mandy Garcia(Room 2005)
Accounting, Math, Number Sense, Calculator: Jillian Gonzalez (Room 2202), Joseph Heinrich(Room 2201)
Comp Applications, Comp Sci, Robotics: Sam Black(Room 1203)
Science: Billy Harper (Room 1504)
Current Issues And Events: Shawn Coughlon(Room 2020)
Literary Criticism: Sarah Vescovi(Room 2016)
Social Studies: Gail Shooter(Room 3003)
Ready Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary: Fletcher Schmidt(Room 2101)
All Available UIL Subjects: (note that not all subjects are on paper; some may include speaking, acting, etc. Some may also not be offered in Lubbock High. Ask your teacher for more information.)
Accounting
Computer Applications
Barbara Jordan/Latino Historical Essay
Copy Editing
Editorial Writing
Headline Writing
Feature Writing
News Writing
Literary Criticism
Ready Writing
Spelling and Vocabulary
Current Issues & Events
Social Studies
Congress
Cross Examination Debate
Lincoln Douglas Debate
Informative Speaking
Persuasive Speaking
Prose Interpretation
Poetry Interpretation
Calculator Applications
Computer Science
Mathematics
Number Sense
Robotics
Science
Filmmaking
One-Act Play
Theatrical Design