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Quiz Bowl: A Fresh Start

 

School has been a stress on teenagers since the dawn of time; constant homework, studying, and tests (and don’t forget the summer work) make schoolwork a drag. But, there is one group of people that takes it in stride, the Quiz Bowl. 

The small group, with just eight members, practice for two hours a week to perfect their knowledge on every topic under the sun. They are some of the most intelligent students in Woodland.

Nancy Manning, the advisor of Quiz Bowl, mentions that the coming years have a lot to live up to because 2018 has been one of their best years yet. She is not too worried about defeat though.  

[pullquote]My goal is to go to states and do well at states,” said Manning.[/pullquote]

In 2018, the varsity team qualified for nationals and claimed second place in the entire country. The team had to answer questions about sports, history, science, current events, facts, statistics, and much more. Teams are asked 800 questions at a game and are given five seconds to answer after they buzz in. Most questions are in paragraph form. 

With every question, there is a special symbol. Teams who answer a question before the symbol will be awarded fifteen points rather than 10. If answered incorrectly, they lose five points.

However, the knowledge has to be learned. Members practice for two hours a week, and then some on their own time to keep the information in their heads. Woodland’s team’s preparation isn’t the most intense, though; Connecticut schools practice for up to eighty hours a week. 

Unfortunately, there is no more room to join. The junior varsity and varsity teams are full, but there is a chance to join in the coming years, once a member of the teams graduate. Members are prepared for a year of learning, tough competitions, and most importantly, new friends. 

“My goal is to go to states and do well at states,” said Manning. “Everything else is icing on the cake.”