On November 15th, December 13th, and January 3rd, the Island Trees Academic Quiz Bowl Team clashed with some neighboring school districts in what could only be described as the most thrilling, heart-stopping trivia competitions of our entire schooling careers. However, in order to understand the glory of Island Trees’ victories (and crushing defeats), one must first delve deep into the rules and regulations which distinguish a boring, unremarkable trivia competition from the riveting, and very remarkable Quiz Bowl.

Now, if you are already familiar with the rules, then just turn the page or scroll down a bit more to learn the unique experiences of our team. If not, then take a quick glance at the information that I have provided in a condensed format for your viewing pleasure. You´re welcome.

Pre-Match:

•  Players on each team are organized into either Junior Varsity or Varsity depending on age/experience.
• Players also commonly sit around in awkward anxiety, not knowing what to say or who to say it to until the match starts.

Round 1:

• Buzzers are used when players wish to answer questions.
• When a team answers a question correctly, they get a bonus question for a chance to earn more points.
• There are no penalties for incorrect answers.

Round 2:

• Buzzers will not be used.
• Players must choose either question set A or B
• Players will answer through their captains, and have time to confer.
• Once all questions have been answered, right or wrong, by one team, the other team will have a chance to answer the questions that the first team got incorrect.
• Then, the roles switch.

Round 3:

• Three sets of related questions are brought to the teams; those currently losing pick first
• Speed round; 60 seconds to answer the entire chosen set
• Teams may pass on questions they are unsure of
• Questions gotten incorrect will be offered to the other team
• Then, roles will switch

Round 4:

• Buzzers used
• Penalties for incorrect answers
• No consultation between team members
• No bonus questions

Now, whether you skipped the condensed general information, or read it in its entirety, I don’t really care. Just make sure to buckle up and grab your snacks, because now we are going to delve into the story of Island Trees´ QuizBowl experience (so far). 

To begin our story, I would like to paint you a picture. Imagine a large high school clad in blue and white. This place had wide hallways, enclosed staircases, and even a pool! This was Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK high school, and the setting of our adventures. Once we navigated through the cold weather and hallways of an unfamiliar labyrinth, we made it to our first match on November 15th. Unfortunately, they had the home field advantage, which probably allowed them to sweep our JV team with minimal effort. Crushing defeat aside, our Varsity team positively shredded JFK in cold blood, causing us to go home with at least one win under our belt. Our next encounter was with the sworn enemies of our club advisor, Ludgero Medeiros. These enemies were none other than the Quiz Bowl team of MacArthur High School, and we faced them on December 15th. This match… did not go nearly as painlessly as the previous one. MacArthur, much to Mr. Medeiros´ dismay, was agile and accurate with many of their answers. They preyed on both our Varsity and JV teams, swiftly defeating us. However, there would be a silver lining to this defeat, as we had quite a fun time. The most recent Regional Quiz Bowl match was against… Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK?! Again?! Yep, Great Neck South, or ¨West Egg¨ as they like to call themselves, didn’t show up. At least, not until half of our rematch was over with. Speaking of our rematch, it was shockingly similar to our first face-off, yet slightly better! As expected, our Varsity team came and conquered like they did last time, and while the JV team still lost, we still had quite a lot of fun bantering with the other team, and realizing that Russell Calmenson might have been swapped at birth. The moral of the story? Join Quiz Bowl if you know tons of useless information about a niche subject matter!