NGU quiz bowl team shows trivia smarts
Posted by The Skyliner on February 25th, 2009Samantha Mayo
Staff Writer
North Greenville University tries to provide students with many outlets for their abilities and interests. One of these outlets is the NGU quiz bowl team.
The NGU quiz bowl team competes against other quiz teams from southeastern universities in tournaments of Jeopardy-like trivia.
Teams are asked questions from the fields of history, literature and science. Two teams go head to head for the first question. The first team to answer correctly has an opportunity to answer three bonus questions. The process is repeated for every three bonus questions. Every question is worth 10 points, adding up to a maximum score of 800 points for the entire game. The total score of each team is used to determine the winner of the competition.
Dr. James Washick, quiz team sponsor, says that the quiz bowl team fosters and encourages the love and pursuit of knowledge. Team members have the opportunity to learn new information, get to know like-minded people, show their trivia skills and enjoy fast paced competitions.
According to Washick, the quiz team also helps students discover the interconnectedness of various fields of knowledge as they learn more.
Team members also see participating on the quiz team as a great opportunity.
“Doing something with and for NGU was rewarding—the review of material, the challenge of remembering it, the competition, and the camaraderie of NGU friends [and teacher] was invigorating and fun,” Yvonne Bowlen, senior English, said.
The team participates in five or six tournaments every year. This month the team competed at a tournament in Athens, Georgia. The NGU team won two of nine games, beating Auburn University at Montgomery and Wofford College.
“It is difficult to win games with such a small team,” Washick said, referring to the fact that the NGU team is very small.
The NGU quiz team originated from an intramural trivia competition. Washick formed the first NGU quiz team shortly after the intramural competition. Since then Washick has been coaching the NGU team for 4 years.
Love of learning and trivia has been an essential ingredient for team members ever since the founding of the team. Current team member Zachary Deuerling, junior theater, says that his favorite part of quiz team is the mental exertion.
“What I enjoy the most is the racking of the brain. Trivia games and the like have always been a favorite form of entertainment for me,” Deuerling said.
Washick, as the team sponsor, also enjoys trivia and an active pursuit of knowledge. Washick has not only coached the team for 4 years, but he also participated in Jeopardy in March 2006.
The quiz team is currently looking for new members. Washick said that any student who enjoys trivia and is willing to commit 1 or 2 hours a week to practice is welcome, regardless of GPA and major.
“A lot of people know more than they think,” Washick said.
For anyone who wants the chance to discover or display knowledge of trivia and facts, quiz team is a perfect fit. Interested students should contact Washick at jwashick@ngu.edu.
Tags: Spring 2009, Vol. 108 - Issue 5