The CHIEF March 2024

Scholastic Bowl Update By: Lillian Rainbolt

The Scholastic Bowl team concluded a wonderful season this February. After much time and effort put in throughout the season, both Varsity and JV teams played terrifically. If you are unfamiliar with Scholastic Bowl, it is a team sport centered on trivia. There are “tossup” questions in which each of the five players on each team listen to a question being read and attempt to be the first to buzz in with the correct answer for ten points. Following a correctly answered tossup, there is a set of three “bonus” questions with the same category in which each team works collaboratively to come up with the answers for ten points each. The categories of each question vary, so topics anywhere from Socrates to Van Gogh to Harry Styles are covered. Some individuals on the team have general knowledge spanning several categories, while others are experts in one or two topics. No matter the expanse of your knowledge, Scholastic Bowl is a fun and friendly atmosphere to compete and share knowledge. While I was not present in any of the JV matches, many of the members excitedly reported to me their accomplishments. JV Coach Buchanan says, “The JV Scholastic Bowl Team fought hard all season. As a younger team made primarily of freshmen who had never been on a Scholastic Bowl team, they showed much improvement. I look forward to watching them grow as a team next season.” Special shoutouts to top JV scorers Josh Hartke, with 89 tossups, and Tyler Dreschel, with 47 tossups. My friends and I look forward to the Scholastic Bowl season every year, and we loved participating in this year’s Varsity matches. Shoutouts to frequent captains Michelle Stevenson, Nolan Fetgatter, and Elijah Hartke who continually had the stressful job of thinking on their toes to support their team. Varsity Coach McElwee comments on the season saying, “At the end of our season, we had played over 40 matches against teams in our conference. It's a testament to competitors' drive that they were able to compete in so many matches. This is doubly true when you look at where those matches fall: an eight-week period from January to the end of February that comes after our preparation through October-December. It really was an action-packed season, and I'm so proud of the hard work and dedication students give to Scholastic Bowl.”