[wp_quiz id=”39270″]

Medieval Arab historians such as al-Tabari contended that this woman was Arab and not Greek and was originally named al-Zabba. For 10 points each: Name this Queen of Palmyra who revolted against Emperor Aurelian, gaining control of Egypt and some of Asia Minor.

Stumped? This question is just a sample of the kind of material the Quiz Bowl team members have to navigate throughout their season. And they have done so successfully. Heading to the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence Nationals at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, June 10-11.

However, they need the help of the community. The Quiz Bowl team is hosting their second annual trivia night at 6 p.m. in the Commons, Saturday, April 29. Don’t worry, their event will feature topics more familiar than medieval Middle Eastern history.

“It’s just your standard trivia night: movie trivia and pop culture. It’s nothing too hard and something everyone can enjoy,” Rohan Rai, Quiz Bowl, said. “It also helps raise funds for the team, too, so it would be great if people came down.”

The trivia night features the standard eight rounds of general trivia. Attendees can either purchase a table of 10 people for $100 in advance or buy a seat for $10 at the door.

Coached by Michael McDonald, Math; Derek Demartino (10); Maggie Dill (12); Evan Pina-White (12); Rai and Jon Shryock (12) and make up the nationals-bound Quiz Bowl team.

“Trivia night is not at Quizbowl level. Anybody can do it,” McDonald said.

The team hopes to raise about $1,500 to be able to travel to Chicago.

Last year, the team attended P.A.C.E. Nationals for their first time, making it through prelims and into the playoffs where they ended ranking 61-65 out of 130 teams.

They aim to return to nationals strong. The team recently scored second place at the Holt Winter Invitational and consistently scored third place at tournaments such as the 2017 Orchard Farms Eagle Invitational, Orchard Farms Winter Invitational and the MSHSAA Scholar Bowl District Tournament (4A). Rai and Shryock also placed at districts: Rai as fourth top scorer and Shryock as sixth top scorer.

However, traveling to Chicago for Quiz Bowl nationals will take planning, fundraising and preparation.

Rai, Shryock and the team have been starting to make the most of their practices in order to prepare for the upcoming event.

“We have been looking into subjects that we don’t do very well in,” Rai said. “We are just trying to cover our weaknesses there, which is important since we are starting to take this very seriously.”  

Team members will step up not only in practice but in the classroom, as well.

“We have to pay attention in all of our other classes because that is where the question material comes up. We also have to know about what is going on in current events,” Shryock said. “When the Ferguson stuff was happening, questions were asked about that and this year there will be a lot of questions on Brexit. Besides that we basically just do sample packets and research stuff.”

Quiz Bowl competitions consist of four members to a team who use a buzzer system to answer questions for points. The questions asked of the players are over various academic subjects, like literature, science, history, fine arts, religion, social sciences, geography and current events. In regular competition, two teams of four face off. The moderator asks a question and which ever side buzzes in first and provides the correct answer wins the points.

Players are originally asked toss-up questions in which a player answers individually; if they answer correctly, the team is awarded with bonus questions for more points. The team with the most points in the end wins the competition.

Community members won’t have to travel all the way to Chicago to test their knowledge. The Commons, the Quiz Bowl team and trivia await, Saturday.

And for the curious in the audience… that question:

Medieval Arab historians such as al-Tabari contended that this woman was Arab and not Greek and was originally named al-Zabba. For 10 points each: Name this Queen of Palmyra who revolted against Emperor Aurelian, gaining control of Egypt and some of Asia Minor.

The answers: Zenobia [or Julia Aurelia Zenobia; or Septimia Zenobia; or Znwbya Bat Zabbai]

If interested in purchasing a ticket, talk to a member of the Quiz Bowl team or swing by McDonald’s rooms: 902 or 906.