The Quizbowl Resource Center

Hey everyone,

Every December in Ohio right before schools usually get off for Christmas break, we run a trash tournament for local teams at 2 or 3 different sites. It has turned into one of the biggest tournaments in Ohio – the kids and coaches love it and we have a great time putting it on and running it. Last year, Donald Taylor mirrored the set as a side tournament after one of the Illinois tournaments (Loyola Ultima I believe?) with proceeds going to mattsbuzzers.com.

This year, I was asked to produce a second trash set for a March tournament to be held at Case Western Reserve to help their team financially, since the entire club is brand new, leadership and membership included. I agreed to produce the set for them, with the help of some of my regular co-writers, but I’m seeking some collaboration on the set from anyone that wants to help out. Whole packets are preferred, but we will take anything we can get.

I’m also looking for mirror sites willing to run it and donate the proceeds to mattsbuzzers. The set will be provided free, and I assume most sites would probably play it as a tossup-only side tournament after another academic event, which would be great if it didn’t take away from that academic event. If mirror sites want to run it as a separate tournament, they can do that as well, as long as they donate the proceeds.

I don’t frequent this board very much anymore, so I probably won't read responses here. However, if you are interested in helping write or would want to mirror the set for mattsbuzzers, please shoot me an email at bk31883 <at> gmail <dot> com.

I look forward to hearing from potential collaborators and mirror sites.

Those who have expressed interest in help with writing:

Colin McNamara
Niki Rose
Kenji Golimlim
Alex Dzurick
IMSA folks
Ryan Milowicki
Nick Tabar
Tom Moore
Shashank Raghavachari
Nolan Dannels

Those who have always helped me in the past and I expect to most-likely help again:

Matt Hayes
Drew Scheeler
Paul Nelson
Donald Taylor (editing help)

Again, I rarely come on this board anymore, so if you're interested in helping out, let me know by email and I'll forward you all of the information.

I'm also still looking for mirrors for March-May for mattsbuzzers. Let me know if you want to run it as a side event or even a regular event.

Would there be any interest in an online mirror of this?

What is the distribution of each packet?

And depending on the date, I might be interested in any online mirrors.

Sorry Alex, just saw this...

Its basically 4/4 each of sports, movies, music and tv, 1/1 "other", 1/1 internet/computers, 1/1 video games, 1/1 trashy lit/non web-based comics and 1/1 advertising/consumer products

Within the 4/4, we also break that down into 2 questions from "post-2000," 1 question from the last 2 years and 1 question on something significant from "pre-2000."

Unlike most tournaments, I have the writers write somewhat related bonuses, although most end up being vaguely related, often just to a word used in the question. I might have a clue about a character reciting the Nicene Creed in a movie and then write a bonus on the band Creed, for example.

Anyone who is still interested in helping write this set or hosting a mirror of it for Mattsbuzzers, shoot me an email at bk31883 <at> gmail.

The set is essentially done. Right now we're putting the finishing touches on the editing parts. VCU is using it this weekend and there are two Ohio sites next weekend. There are 10 packets for VCU this weekend of 21/20 and there will be 11 by the two Ohio mirrors as Kenji, Shashank, Tom and a couple others have been working to get the last one done. It will be available for charity mirrors for mattbuzzers (mirrors that wish to use it as a team fundraiser should contact me directly by email), but keep in mind, it is high school level for the most part.

I can be reached at bk31883 at gmail if you're interested in a mirror.