Acquiring knowledge and putting it to good use should be the goal of every student and members of Windham High School’s “A Team” took that task to heart in winning the National Academic Quiz Team State Championship at Bates College in Lewiston on Saturday, March 25.
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| Student members of Windham High School's 'A Team' celebrate with advisors and classmates after winning the National Academic Quiz Team State Championship at Bates College in Lewiston on Saturday, March 25. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Meeting on Mondays and Fridays after school and in the mornings before classes, Quiz Team members spend a fair amount of time dedicated to learning trivia.
Senior Grete Paulding has been involved with the Quiz Team since her freshman year.
“When the original team graduated at the end of my sophomore year, I took over as team captain. Over the past two years, I have watched us grow from eight to more than 20,” Paulding said. “My teammates are dedicated to not only learning as much as they can, but also supporting each other through good times and bad. We are not only colleagues, we are friends.”
She said that with more students joining the Quiz Team, they are able to spread creatively pursuing knowledge.
“A big takeaway from being part of the team is that to be successful every player needs to be strong,” said Kaitlyn Farrin, a Windham Quiz Team member. “Some teams try to rely on one ‘star player’ in games, but I have found that teams with a more balanced attack where everyone contributes, often do better.”
Farrin has been a part of Quiz Team for the last three years and is now a member of the school’s top-level “A Team.”
The National Academic Quiz Bowl’s format contains three bonus questions after each tossup question that only the correct answering team can respond to. During this segment of the competition, questions can feature an assortment of topics, which test the extensive knowledge of contributing teams.
“You don’t have to know everything to be a valuable member. That’s something I didn’t realize at first,” said Quiz Team member Al Potter. “Quiz Team is about having fun and being passionate about the random stuff you do know.”
Potter has a vigorous connection with Windham’s quiz team since his junior year that has fostered his passion for trivia.
“We always have a blast, during practice and competitions,” he said. “Everyone in this community is always excited to hear our latest news, I am so grateful for their support.”
The Quiz Team students have generated more interest than participating in a typical competition, it has produced new friendships, bonds, and long lasting memories.
“My favorite memories from this year are some of our bonding events. I think it’s really important for team morale to hang out outside of the group and get to know each other,” Farrin said. “We've had movie nights, game nights, a Halloween party, and a holiday party. I love these events because it gives us time to joke around and have fun without any of the pressure of practice or games.”
This year has marked Will Stuart’s second year being a part of the team. He was placed on the school “A Team” as one of its starting four competitors.
“My experience as a member has been very positive. Being around a lot of people who kind of ‘get me’ really helps,” Stuart said. “It’s taught me I need to be more assertive with my knowledge. For example, during one of our Friday practice games, I missed a total of 115 points because I wasn't sure of myself.”
Trivia is information and data of little importance or value usually associated with general knowledge or common sense. Retaining this information can take a good amount of time.
“I’m most proud of the last six tournaments, I have won first place for most incorrect answers. It has become one of Maine Quiz Bowl’s running jokes,” said Paulding. “If I had strived for perfection, I would’ve been disappointed when I always came up short. The ‘neg prize’ reminds me that in every competition, I am valuable to my team when I take calculated risks and remember how to laugh at myself. I am grateful to be surrounded by a team that is always ready to laugh with and at me.”
Regardless of the team’s placement, participants in the 2023 NAQT Maine State Championship could also see their individual overall rankings and out of 70 students, Paulding came in first.
When they’re not studying or participating in quiz bowls, this extracurricular tapes episodes of the PBS Maine High School Quiz Show for television. The first round of Season Six of the show airs at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13 on WCBB Channel 10 and features North Yarmouth Academy versus Windham. <
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