When people hear the word competition, they think of funny-shaped balls and shoulder pads. But for Nancy  Manning and the Quiz bowl team, competition means answering tough questions.  A saying  Quiz bowl,  a debate team here in Woodland Regional High School, and in order to crush their opponents, they require vigorous practice.

In the beginning of practice, Manning pulls out a huge bag of candy for the members to eat before they start, such as M&Ms, Starburst, etc. “Students get really hungry at 2:00, so this gives them an energy boost,” says Manning.

Then the club divides themselves into two halves. Each half selects a team captain to state the answers. Once everyone is situated on either side of the room,  Manning, who is sitting in the middle, test the students’ knowledge.

The questions cover a variety of topics, from history to math questions. Manning reads the questions aloud and whoever knows the answer first has to hit their hand down on the desk before someone on the other team does. Their hand are substitutes for buzzers which would be used in a real game.

Members of the team have strengths. For example Kaylee Walsh is good with geography, art, history, and literature. Kyle, David and Charlie are really knowledgeable about sports and science. Bayan and Aisha really know their history and religious questions. Hana, Kaitlyn, Cros, Cassie, Bridgitte, and Kelsi know their history and current events. There are different pointed questions, and there are different segments within them.

If one team gets the first one right, they go on to answer the next 2 follow up questions. Someone keeps track of score, and the side with the most points by the time all the questions are answered wins. “The team’s goals for the end of the year is to place competitively in their tournaments, and to dominate in their state tournaments.” states Manning.