The Fourth Annual Vermont State Middle School Scholars Bowl Tournament was held at Burlington High School on Saturday, April 30.

Fourteen Mater Christi School students competed against seven teams from other schools in a round robin style tournament with the MCS Team B winning second place. The two Mater Christi school coaches, who also are the students’ teachers, Mark Pendergrass and Brent Tremblay, attended as well. The participating students were sixth graders: Will Freeman, Laura Hoak, Wolfie Davis, Maris Lynn, Garrett Micciche; seventh graders: Hannah Cawley, Nidhi Konnanur, Tyler Rowley, Ben Hershey, Adam Galuszka, George Huffman, Sara Beth Marroquin, Charlotte Vincent; and eighth grader, J.B. Bahrenburg,

NAQT (National Academic Quiz Tournaments) otherwise known as Quiz Bowl or Scholars Bowl was founded in 1996 by former quiz bowl players who are now college professors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, software designers, and research scientists. Not surprisingly, the questions come from all areas of knowledge, including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, sports and popular culture.

The defining feature of quiz bowl is the use of a “buzzer system” (or, more formally, a “lockout device”) that lets players interrupt the reading of a question when they know the answer. That element adds a dimension of confidence, anticipation, and rapid recall to what is primarily a game about knowing facts.
The students and their coaches agreed that they had a great time at the tournament as well as at each practice session that lead up to the tournament; using a buzzer probably accounts for one of the positive aspects of these sessions!

Sister Joanne LaFreniere, RSM
Director of Public Relations and Spiritual Life