Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

This forum is for anyone seeking advice on starting a collegiate team, branching out into new types of tournaments, or other "how-to" aspects of collegiate quizbowl.
Post Reply
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

Hello! I'm Luke Henson and I'm studying at Cornell College.* I'm trying to start a Quiz Bowl team! I had about five people at my first meeting and I think we may be moving to two or three practices a week so a whole bunch of people can join in without scheduling conflicts.

Everyone really would like to compete with other teams. Is there a way to find out about upcoming Midwest competitions? Is anyone in the general vicinity (Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri), and if not, do you know someone in the community who is? We're close to Chicago for whatever it's worth.

Thanks!!

*Not to be confused with Cornell University, the noted Ivy League school. My school is in Iowa, so probably better described as "Corn League."
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
User avatar
Apocolocyntora
Rikku
Posts: 452
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:47 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by Apocolocyntora »

Hey Luke--we've spoken over DMs but I just wanted to make a post here in case there are any other new or revived local teams looking for information.

The North circuit does not (yet) have a website or central database with upcoming tournaments, but all of our tournaments will pop up on the hsquizbowl tournament database once we formally announce them. This circuit will have a mirror of ACF Fall on October 16, which is a good tournament for new collegiate players. Collegiate Novice, an NAQT tournament with slightly easier questions than ACF Fall, will also likely be hosted by a local team in late September or early October. I cannot speak for the Illinois circuit, but I would expect both of these tournaments to be hosted in that circuit as well.

UMN has contact information for North circuit teams, and we're happy to add new teams to our tournament mailing list and pass on new teams' info to other local hosting teams.

Congratulations again on the new team!
Tora (she/her/hers)
Wayzata '18
Minnesota '22 (President, '20-'22)
mjoy
Lulu
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 2:58 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by mjoy »

Hi Luke,

I just want to add some words of welcome from the team that's possibly the farthest away from you geographically, and yet still in the North circuit.

I'm glad to see a team at Cornell. I've swung by the campus a couple of times on my way to events in Iowa City, just because I like college campuses (who doesn't?), and it seems like a very nice place.

I hope you make it to some of the events in the Minnesota/Carleton sphere of influence--they're always very well-organized and fun!
Michael Joy
Faculty Advisor/"Coach"/Travel Agent
Northern Michigan University Quiz Bowl
alexdz
Rikku
Posts: 458
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:29 pm
Location: Conshohocken, PA

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by alexdz »

There's a fairly healthy Missouri college circuit that often includes tournaments hosted at Truman State in Kirksville (north-central MO), WashU in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri in Columbia. I think you'll find tournaments in St. Louis offer pretty much the exact same travel time for you as heading north to the Twin Cities, and Kirksville would be a pretty easy drive (a hair over 3 hours, per Google Maps). Teams from Iowa are always welcome at our events!
Alex Dzurick
====
Owner/Editor, SAGES Quizbowl Questions
Middle school teacher, Rohan Woods School
====
South Callaway '08 -- Mizzou '12 -- Illinois '17
SCMS coach '12-'13 -- EFIP coach '20-'21 -- RWS coach '22-present
User avatar
db0wman
Wakka
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:37 pm
Location: Champaign, IL

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by db0wman »

Hi Luke, welcome to the midwest circuit! The University of Illinois is about a 4 hour drive from Mount Vernon, and we host a lot of tournaments for the region. Since the wider quizbowl community is cautiously transitioning back into in-person quizbowl, there have been very few tournament announcements. Once we at UIUC confirm our tournament dates for the semester, we'll have forum posts up (I anticipate us running 2 or 3 events this fall).
Dylan Bowman
Uni '20; Illinois '23
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

Apocolocyntora wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:24 am Hey Luke--we've spoken over DMs but I just wanted to make a post here in case there are any other new or revived local teams looking for information.

The North circuit does not (yet) have a website or central database with upcoming tournaments, but all of our tournaments will pop up on the hsquizbowl tournament database once we formally announce them. This circuit will have a mirror of ACF Fall on October 16, which is a good tournament for new collegiate players. Collegiate Novice, an NAQT tournament with slightly easier questions than ACF Fall, will also likely be hosted by a local team in late September or early October. I cannot speak for the Illinois circuit, but I would expect both of these tournaments to be hosted in that circuit as well.

UMN has contact information for North circuit teams, and we're happy to add new teams to our tournament mailing list and pass on new teams' info to other local hosting teams.

Congratulations again on the new team!
Thanks again Tora!!
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

alexdz wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:24 pm There's a fairly healthy Missouri college circuit that often includes tournaments hosted at Truman State in Kirksville (north-central MO), WashU in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri in Columbia. I think you'll find tournaments in St. Louis offer pretty much the exact same travel time for you as heading north to the Twin Cities, and Kirksville would be a pretty easy drive (a hair over 3 hours, per Google Maps). Teams from Iowa are always welcome at our events!
Thanks Alex! Do you have contacts for those colleges' teams? I'd love to get in touch with them in case they hold any tournaments.
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

mjoy wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 1:42 pm Hi Luke,

I just want to add some words of welcome from the team that's possibly the farthest away from you geographically, and yet still in the North circuit.

I'm glad to see a team at Cornell. I've swung by the campus a couple of times on my way to events in Iowa City, just because I like college campuses (who doesn't?), and it seems like a very nice place.

I hope you make it to some of the events in the Minnesota/Carleton sphere of influence--they're always very well-organized and fun!
Thanks Mr. Joy! It is really a lovely campus and I think if we ever host it would be such a chill time for our guests.

May your team excel this season!
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

db0wman wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:44 am Hi Luke, welcome to the midwest circuit! The University of Illinois is about a 4 hour drive from Mount Vernon, and we host a lot of tournaments for the region. Since the wider quizbowl community is cautiously transitioning back into in-person quizbowl, there have been very few tournament announcements. Once we at UIUC confirm our tournament dates for the semester, we'll have forum posts up (I anticipate us running 2 or 3 events this fall).
Thanks Dylan! Yeah that is a super reasonable distance. I hope we can come to one of your tournaments this year!
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
User avatar
InfinitePeng
Lulu
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:27 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by InfinitePeng »

VelarApproximant wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:43 pm
alexdz wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:24 pm There's a fairly healthy Missouri college circuit that often includes tournaments hosted at Truman State in Kirksville (north-central MO), WashU in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri in Columbia. I think you'll find tournaments in St. Louis offer pretty much the exact same travel time for you as heading north to the Twin Cities, and Kirksville would be a pretty easy drive (a hair over 3 hours, per Google Maps). Teams from Iowa are always welcome at our events!
Thanks Alex! Do you have contacts for those colleges' teams? I'd love to get in touch with them in case they hold any tournaments.

Hey Luke!

The Quizbowl Club at the University of Missouri can be reached at [email protected]. I believe WUSTL's email is at [email protected].

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about our circuit.
felix

mizzou 23, st. joseph central 19

MOQBA, PACE
User avatar
VelarApproximant
Lulu
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:00 pm

Re: Starting a team at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa

Post by VelarApproximant »

InfinitePeng wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 2:07 pm
VelarApproximant wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:43 pm
alexdz wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:24 pm There's a fairly healthy Missouri college circuit that often includes tournaments hosted at Truman State in Kirksville (north-central MO), WashU in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri in Columbia. I think you'll find tournaments in St. Louis offer pretty much the exact same travel time for you as heading north to the Twin Cities, and Kirksville would be a pretty easy drive (a hair over 3 hours, per Google Maps). Teams from Iowa are always welcome at our events!
Thanks Alex! Do you have contacts for those colleges' teams? I'd love to get in touch with them in case they hold any tournaments.

Hey Luke!

The Quizbowl Club at the University of Missouri can be reached at [email protected]. I believe WUSTL's email is at [email protected].

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about our circuit.
Thanks Felix! I absolutely will.
Luke E. Henson
Colorado Early Colleges Aurora Class of 2021
Cornell College Class of 2025

Jack of all categories, indefatigable Jeopardy! viewer, goonerism spuru
Post Reply