What do you get out of Quiz Bowl?

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jeffburns1
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What do you get out of Quiz Bowl?

Post by jeffburns1 »

It's time for many of us to start thinking about recruiting for next year. I would like to be able to list some advantages of being on the team. What have you personally gained from your involvement with quiz bowl? What are the benefits that other students might enjoy?
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dtaylor4
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Post by dtaylor4 »

I, personally, have had an "enhanced" educational experience from quiz bowl. For example, for my AP US History, I already had a fairly deep base of the facts that my compatriots needed to learn, so I spent more time on the analysis and deep-thinking aspect of the class, and I could say the same for my english classes since I was the lit expert on my team.
Trevkeeper
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Post by Trevkeeper »

First and foremost, I had fun. But among the other benefits...I paid more attention in class, hoping to pick up on things that would help me in a match one day. I also did the same when watching, say, Jeopardy. I would remember the answers, just in case. So really, it's made me more aware of surroundings, I suppose.
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alkrav112
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Post by alkrav112 »

The biggest thing I got out of quiz bowl was meeting people who are like me. I probably never would have spoken to my now best friend if we hadn't met in quiz bowl, and I've made a lot of friends through the circuit. It also helps when you haven't studied for an AP US/Euro test... makes it much easier to recall facts. And obviously, it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys... or debate.
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Post by DumbJaques »

I personally feel that my fast-twitch forarm muscle system, that is, my video game muscles, have been improved by playing quizbowl. I know of no greater measure of self-betterment than improving the physical aspect of one's video gaming skill.

I really value who I've met, by chance you could say, through quizbowl. But more importantly, I have a great time whenever I pick up a buzzer, just like everyone should. A lot of times people can't really imagine just how fun something called "quizbowl" really is. Encourage people to try it and see how they like it. . . people who won't like it can't help you anyway, and people who will like it generally realize it pretty quickly.

You can also try some of the more traditional recruiting methods: Cars, under the table money envelopes, girls (boys), and/or stereo systems of questionable origin.
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trial and error
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Post by trial and error »

Quiz bowl serves as an extra motivator for classes you don't really want to take. Subjects that don't immediately seem useful are more exciting when you can show off what you've learned afterschool. Besides, if you're good enough, you can get away with not studying for quizzes. (Assuming, of course, the answers are all proper nouns within the quiz bowl canon.)

Personally, I play quiz bowl so that I can (soon) wear a buzzstrong wristband without looking foolish.
Even the simplist task can be done rong.
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dtaylor4
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Post by dtaylor4 »

Those are gonna turn heads dude. Also, it not only motivates people to take harder classes, it also gives you an edge since you already know something before you step inside the classroom. Scholastic Bowl has also instilled in me a deep hatred of my school's band director and IMSA (Illinois Math and Science Academy) since both have stolen so many good players from our team, including three after my sophomore year.
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Irreligion in Bangladesh
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Post by Irreligion in Bangladesh »

Our f/s team lost 3 regular players to Robotics team, not to mention our 3rd best varsity player couldn't make Sectionals (we lost sectionals by 10 points...Yes, we won robotic regionals, but why did the computer programmer have to go down to St. Louis with them?)...Thanks to the robotics team, basketball team, and wrestling, Winnebago's using underclassmen on varsity next year for the first time since we won nationals in 1994.

Thanks to Scholastic Bowl, I've realized a new appreciation for school and grades...ended up with 6 A+'s last semester, missing one total point on my finals combined. (Before you ask, no AP)
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dtaylor4
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Post by dtaylor4 »

Dude you think that's bad? Our varsity team (which for two years was the same as our jv team) has been using underclassmen for SIX years, with my first three having a majority of freshmen playing up, including last year when we went to peoria.
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Marcel Duchamp
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Post by Marcel Duchamp »

In an attempt to keep this from turning into an Illinois debate, here are some things I have gotten out of this great game:

1. Place to focus my love of loud, sharp noises and flashing lights
2. Increased knowledge of explosives
3. What happens when certain things are microwaved
4. MICHAEL BRAUN
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tj b boy
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Post by tj b boy »

For one thing, it's fun. Besides that, it offers many of the benefits of a high school or college sport; camraderie, competition, travel, and yes, even a tiny bit of respect from some of your non-quiz bowl peers. Some of them.

One specific thing I got from it was the ability to walk through my university's library stacks and find something worth reading. In general, knowing the quiz bowl canon gets you a long way towards knowing the big names and ideas that have shaped the world in literature, history, or whatever. It gives you a knowledge base to start from on the way to real self-improvement, through libraries, Wikipedia, class choices, and all the other ways of learning things. Which in turn helps with quiz bowl, which means that you get more knowledge to build on, and so on and so forth.

Also, I've actually met a pretty good amount of people here at college I saw on the high school quiz bowl circuit. It's kind of nice to know a couple people from other schools.
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Post by harshrealm »

My college admission essay. Seriously. E-mail me if you want a copy. And the chance to travel to random high schools across the southeast.
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No Sollositing On Premise
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Post by No Sollositing On Premise »

harshrealm wrote:My college admission essay....
You aren't the only one. I name-dropped quiz bowl in one of mine.

But seriously, I feel that quiz bowl has done more for me than given me a reputation or given me cocktail party knowledge. It was a very fun way to reward one's knowledge and thus (as Mike mentioned) providing further postive incentives to learn more. I don't regret doing quiz bowl in high school, and I don't think I ever will.
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Post by solonqb »

harshrealm wrote:My college admission essay...
Me three. It's a mind-expanding experience :)
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Post by Skepticism and Animal Feed »

In a few weeks I will be handed free airplane tickets to another part of the country, one where it is significantly warmer than it is in Chicago. And why? To play a game. A game that ultimately boils down to glorified trivia.

If you know anyone who is suicidal, tell them to join a quiz bowl team. Then they will see that life is beautiful.
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suds1000
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Post by suds1000 »

Bruce:

Does the University of Chicago have a high suicide rate among undergrads? I heard that recently, and I was just wondering if you knew anything about it.
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Post by Susan »

I know you were asking Bruce, but since I've been here forever, I can answer this: the University of Chicago used to have quite a lot of suicides until they started putting people in inpatient psych at the slightest hint of suicidal ideation.

Undergraduates do still get a winter holiday called "Suicide Prevention Day" (though everyone I knew called it Suicide Day).

Susan
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iamsam
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Post by iamsam »

is it January 3rd by any chance?
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dtaylor4
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Post by dtaylor4 »

solonqb wrote:
harshrealm wrote:My college admission essay...
Me three. It's a mind-expanding experience :)
I think the real question is, who here didn't mention quiz bowl once in any college app essay?
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