From Classroom to Competition

The sound of a buzzer can be heard throughout the room as the JA Knowledge Bowl team makes their way to the state competition. 

While Knowledge Bowl has continued to be an exciting extracurricular, this year the team’s efforts earned them the title of regional champions.

“I took over the club from Mr. Truta about four years ago, and I have been coaching ever since. It’s been my goal to rebuild it,” teacher sponsor Mr. Clark stated. “I’ve always loved trivia, and it’s been my passion ever since I was young. It’s been something I’ve been doing for fun in my own life, and so it seemed like a natural fit for me to sponsor the club.”

Knowledge Bowl is a fun opportunity to show off what you know and apply it in a competition setting. It can additionally be an exciting event to observe for both teachers and students.

“Knowledge Bowl is a club competition where you answer trivia questions with everyone on your team,” junior Bentley Nielson explained. “You can kind of think of it like Jeopardy.”

Many students can find the thrill of game shows an inspiring and fun way to learn new things and express what you already know. Additionally, much of the Knowledge Bowl team began their journey in middle school, with Brain Bowl.

“I did [Brain Bowl] in middle school, and then continued through high school because of friends,” sophomore Cadence Fredricey mentioned. “You don’t have to be worried about what you know or don’t know. The competitions are really fun and there's not a lot of pressure.”

Even in low-pressure competitions, there are still strategies that can be applied on the road to success.

“On each of our teams, there are people who are good in different subject areas,” sophomore Ravel LaBerge stated. “We try to spread it out and make sure we have one person that’s good at each subject.” 

While dividing the work among many people can make for a lighter load, this year’s Knowledge Bowl team is smaller in comparison to other schools. That being said, this can be more of an advantage rather than a challenge.

“I think we feel closer together and more connected,” senior Sarvesh Satheesh Kumar noted. “We are all friends, which makes us have a lot more fun than some of the other Knowledge Bowl teams.”  

Moreover, having fewer people on a team can lead to a more tight-knit community. This can especially improve the overall Knowledge Bowl experience.

“I think [having fewer people on the team] makes it easier because when we competed in middle school for Brain Bowl we had too many people,” sophomore Nathan Harding mentioned. “Because we have a small team, everyone gets to play, so I think it’s more fun. It’s really just me and my friends, and you bond with them over a tournament because you experience the highs and lows together, so it’s a good bonding experience.”

Having the opportunity to take on regionals without all of the stress that comes with competition is something that the Knowledge Bowl team focused on this year. Being surrounded by friends and a supportive community has contributed greatly to this aspect as well.

“I chose to do Knowledge Bowl because I like doing things with my friends, and that was one of the things Knowledge Bowl offers,” Harding added. “It’s a trivia game, and I like proving that I know random and useless facts.”

Being a part of the Jefferson Academy Knowledge Bowl team can lead to close friendships, new experiences, and an exciting opportunity to learn more about the world around you.

“If you want to join, don’t be worried about not knowing enough,” Nielson added. “The best Knowledge Bowl teams get maybe sixty percent of the questions right. It’s not about failure, it’s about when you can succeed.”