‘As Schools Match Wits' Returns to NEPM for 63rd season

03:26PM / Friday, January 05, 2024Print Story | Email Story

Lenox Memorial High School won the championship last year.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The 63rd season of "As Schools Match Wits" will premiere on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.

Lee High School and Lenox Memorial High School will face off on Jan. 27.

The program is a collaboration of New England Public Media and Westfield State University. It was nominated last season for a Boston/New England Regional Emmy Award, is produced at the university's studios and broadcast on NEPM TV. The joint production is one of the longest-running academic quiz show competitions of its kind in the country.

"ASMW delivers all of the fun of the classic high school quiz show," said host Beth Ward, while it also "introduces a new generation of high school students to one of the few public competitions of its kind."

"As Schools Match Wits" includes public and private high schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. Teams are matched up randomly and compete against each other head-to-head answering questions in six categories: arts and entertainment, literature, math and science, general knowledge (includes sports), social studies (includes civics, geography, etc.), and world events (history and current events).

"Each year we welcome a new crop of the area's best and brightest students into our studio and it's always inspiring," said Executive Producer Tony Dunne. "Even after 17 years of serving as the producer of ASMW and as we enter our 63rd season, I'm still in awe of what these high school students know and how dedicated and competitive they are."

That competitive spirit leads the highest-scoring teams of the season to compete in playoff matches striving to win the "As Schools Match Wits" championship trophy, the Collamore Cup. Last season, Lenox Memorial High School earned this achievement.

The show is available live at 7 p.m. on NEPM-TV each Saturday or can be watched on demand shortly after it airs.

The 63rd season preliminary round matches are as follows:

Jan. 6: Deerfield Academy vs. Pioneer Valley Christian Academy

Jan. 13: West Springfield vs. Monson High

Jan. 20: Longmeadow High vs. Pope Francis

Jan. 27: Lee High vs. Lenox Memorial

Feb. 3: Frontier Regional vs. Pioneer Valley Regional

Feb. 10: Palmer High vs. MacDuffie School

Feb. 17: East Longmeadow vs. Belchertown High

Additional matchups to be announced.

Tags: school competition,

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New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction.

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.

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