QuizBowl brings out inner intelligence

CVHS Gamma team beat CVHS Zeta team 2-0 at this weekend’s QuizBowl competition. Unfortunately, the Gamma team later lost 2-4 and did not qualify to move onto the California regional competition.

“Although our team didn’t win that many matches, I really liked how nobody cared too much about winning. Even though we were competitive, it was all about the game and having fun,” said Justin Liu, a member of CVHS Gamma team.

CVHS hosted the QuizBowl competition over the weekend, where eleven students from CVHS participated on two teams. There were a total of ten high school teams participating in the competition. The winning teams were the Escobar Varsity team with a score of 6-0, Amador Beta team with a score of 5-1, and the Escobar JV team with a score of 5-1.

In each game, a moderator asked questions to teams of up to four players who constantly buzzed in answers. The questions varied from poached eggs to the Tea Pot Dome scandal. It was tense in the room as questions were asked and answered. The games were fast paced but took about 40 minutes per round.

The teams competed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m with only a lunch break, concluding with a moderator vs. high school student match. During lunch, the teams visited the local restaurants in Castro Valley. At the end of the day, egos were bruised, but each player came out of the competition knowing a little more trivia.

“Everyone should compete in a Quiz Bowl competition, even if they don’t think they’re ‘smart enough,’ because many people know a lot more than they think they do,” said Liu.