New Team at Illinois Wesleyan

[steveland]

Hello everybody, I am starting a quiz bowl team at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. I'd just like to get the word out that there's a new team, and also ask for advice on good novice tournaments to attend, where to get an inexpensive buzzer system, and ways of recruiting members (That has been my biggest difficulty so far). If you'd like to contact me, my email is slandewe@iwu.edu.

[Guile Island]

Welcome to the forums! You're actually in a pretty darn good location for tournaments, with UIUC, Chicago, Northwestern, and WUSTL all not too far away. The closest thing you'll get to a "novice tournament" until the Spring is Purdue's mirror of the Delta Burke set on November 15th. As for recruitment, we have an activities fair in the fall and winter every year that's our primary method of getting new members, so you should see if your school does anything similar.

[Mnemosyne]

I started our team last year, and I've had the biggest success by finding intelligent quiz bowlish people in my classes, talking to them a few times so they know me a little better, and then personally asking them to join the team. I think we're at 50% people I asked to come, and 50% people who read the email I sent out and showed up.

[steveland]

Thanks for the advice! I'll check out that Purdue tournament.

[master9017]

Hmmm, thinking of coming here from Iowa State for reasons that might have to do with Quizbowl and definitely not academic at all. I’d love to help establish another strong Quizbowl team in Illinois if you’ll have me.