Applause filled the Huss Center for Performing Arts as students took the stage, preparing to face their teachers in a Quiz Bowl showdown assembly on April 8. After rounds of fast-paced questioning and displays of knowledge across a diverse range of subjects, the faculty team took the win by four points.
Senior Murray Goff has been the captain of Quiz Bowl since his junior year. He had two main objectives heading into the match: to have fun and to give the school a chance to see the energy and appeal of Quiz Bowl at its best.

“It [was] all for fun, and I have a feeling, even if we [looked] bad, it [was] still enjoyable. I hope people [enjoyed] the fun of it, which is something I think SPA needs to appreciate,” he said.
That sense of enjoyment carried through the assembly and was felt by both teams. Math teacher Jack Kinseth noted appreciation for the event’s atmosphere.

“My favorite moment was just being in the presence of some really passionate and excited people, both faculty and students alike,” he said.

For Quiz Bowl team member Louis Fratzke, the students’ enthusiasm and expertise were not luck in any form; they were the product of months of preparation.

“I think the entire year has been kind of rolling up to this point. We’re planning on shipping out to Chicago for small school nationals in just a few weeks. So this [assembly] has kind of been co-opted in, but the whole year we’ve really been practicing for [these types of events],” he said.

Preparation across a wide range of subjects was evident throughout the match. From questions about March Madness results to complex math equations, the Quiz Bowl match offered a unique opportunity to showcase understanding of many disciplines in a fast-paced format.

Though the event mimicked an actual Quiz Bowl match, adjustments were made to increase audience engagement and fit within the assembly’s time frame. For one, “Lightning Rounds” were incorporated into the competition. In these rounds, each team had the opportunity to pick between the categories “Caribou,” “Starbucks” or “Spyhouse.” Each category had a set of questions whose answers related to the category name.

Junior Asha Peckosh enjoyed lightning rounds as they are quick and allow participants to focus on specific topics.

“I like the pace. They’re really fast-paced, and they’re normally one of the most random topics,” Peckosh said. The students chose the category “Spyhouse,” in which each answer was a movie with the word “spy” or “house” in them. The teachers chose the category “Caribou,” in which answers ended in two vowels, mimicking how Caribou ends in an O and a U.

Peckosh also appreciated how the event publicized Quiz Bowl.

“I would say we have very popular assembly announcements, thanks to Murray and William. But I feel like a lot of people don’t really know what Quiz Bowl is, and so I hope that they kind of have a better sense for what it actually is,” she said.

For Peckosh, the loss by only four points was a success in itself.

“[It was] close, and that was great, because they’re all experts in their fields,” she said.
Beyond this competition, Goff highlighted the community and enjoyment in Quiz Bowl.
“I think there is a real community … I trust that people will have a really fun time if you just let it be for fun,” Goff said.

The Quiz Bowl team will compete next on April 24 in Chicago for Small School Quiz Bowl Nationals.