One of the most recognizable TV game shows that has maintained its popularity for the past decade is “Jeopardy.” In Jeopardy, contestants compete as individuals against one another for a grand prize. They are asked a series of trivia questions, ranging from mathematics to pop culture to earn points for themselves.
The general idea is that it takes a genius to be able to land a spot in one of these intelligence-based competitions. However, with cameras out of the picture, it can be easy to play Jeopardy here at PLHS by joining Quiz Bowl.
Quiz Bowl is a club under the leadership of PLHS’ French teacher Madame Halligan. The members of the club meet on Mondays after school to refine their knowledge. In addition, they attend competitions to show their knowledge and go head-to-head with other schools.
“Quiz Bowl competes against other Quiz Bowl teams around the Metro area,” Halligan said. “In teams of four, they have a varsity and a JV team.”
Competitions give Quiz Bowl members the opportunity to bond with each other and enhance their teamwork. Mistakes can occur in these competitions, however. In one instance, the bracket used to eliminate and progress competing schools had an error, but it was easily resolved by PLHS’ team.
“The bracket got messed up and we left one player there, Jack,” Halligan said. “He went in to observe, found out we were supposed to play, and he won second place all by himself. It was his first tournament.”
Freshman Jack Boggy started his first year at PLHS with the Quiz Bowl team. It took him by surprise that the team welcomed him with open arms and he was able to enjoy participating in the club.
“I didn’t expect the environment to be as fun as it was, especially at the tournaments,” Boggy said. “We all became really close with each other.”
This year, Quiz Bowl maintained a strong bond with each other. Although, the club has changed drastically since its popularity before COVID-19.
“It was more popular pre-COVID,” Halligan said.”Post-COVID, that has been a challenge for a lot of different kinds of clubs.”
In addition to the pandemic causing conflicts with Quiz Bowl’s success, there has always been the persistent issue of students’ doubt about joining the club.
Students typically doubt their knowledge when being put to the test, however Quiz Bowl does not require the highest level of intelligence.
“You do not have to be gifted in any areas,” Halligan said. “You just have to know a little about something. Everybody has an expertise in something, you just don’t know it yet.”
Like many organizations and clubs, whether in school or out, Quiz Bowl is always welcoming new members. All that is necessary for this club is interest and participation.
“There is no real barrier to entry,” Boggy said. “It’s not like you have to try out. Just join and participate.”
As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, it is not a bad idea for current juniors and below to consider Quiz Bowl for next year, which will continue to be open for participation.
