What is quiz bowl?
Quiz bowl is a Jeopardy-style competition where two teams face off against one another by answering questions on topics such as literature, art, music, history, math, and science. The competitions share a similarity to Jeopardy in that they are both buzzer-based. However, unlike Jeopardy questions which mostly revolve around trivia, quiz bowl questions are much harder and place a heavy emphasis on material learned inside the classroom in addition to general knowledge. The questions are structured in the form of a collection of clues, with the harder ones appearing earlier in the questions and the easiest clue appearing at the end. A member of either team can buzz in at any time to answer a question, known as a toss-up.
An example of a toss-up would be:
This man served as U.S. President during the XYZ Affair. As President, this man suppressed criticism and immigration via the Alien and Sedition Acts. This member of the Federalist Party and first official resident of the (*) White House died on July 4, 1826, the same day as his rival, Thomas Jefferson. For ten points, name this second President of the United States and father of another President, John Quincy.
ANSWER: John Adams [SCOP NOVICE 8]
If correct, the team can then collectively answer a set of bonus questions on a specific topic, to earn more points. If the answer given is wrong, the question is read, usually to the end, at which point, the other team can buzz in with an answer. In rare instances, the question goes dead, meaning, neither team is able to get to a correct answer. A wrong answer given prior to the completion of the question usually results in that team losing points.
An example of a bonus would be:
The northernmost land action of the Civil War took place in this state, when Confederate soldiers raided the city of St. Albans. For ten points each,
[10] Name this New England state, the home of the Green Mountains and the cities of Burlington and Montpelier.
ANSWER: Vermont
[10] During the Revolutionary War, the Green Mountain Boys captured this fort on Lake Champlain. This fort’s cannons were then transported to Boston to help siege the city.
ANSWER: Fort Ticonderoga
[10] With Benedict Arnold, this leader of the Green Mountain Boys commanded the forces that captured Fort Ticonderoga.
ANSWER: Ethan Allen [SCOP NOVICE 8]
There are three different formats of quiz bowl competitions that the team participates in: OAC, NAQT, and PACE. You can click on the links to learn more about the nuances of each of the different formats.