On Feb. 25, Sartell had a major inter-school competition come to town. This wasn’t a basketball or hockey game, but a Knowledge Bowl invitational with 87 teams from almost two dozen schools competing. As I’ve mentioned in some previous columns, Knowledge Bowl is an academic competition pitting some of Minnesota’s most talented students in head-to-head competition. So what is it, and how does it function in our state?
The idea for a Knowledge Bowl tournament first originated in Durango, Colo. in 1976, and was soon followed by Minnesota in 1979. After starting with only a handful of schools, the activity encompasses the entire state with hundreds of teams competing. These teams and schools are organized into several regions, with each sending a certain number to the state meet in April.
But how does it work? The standard Knowledge Bowl meet is composed of two parts. First, each team of four or five students takes the written round, a test with 60 multiple-choice questions. These can be on any range of subjects. This must be completed within a certain amount of time, usually about an hour. Once the scores are tabulated, the top three scoring teams are placed in Room 1, then the next three highest scoring teams in Room 2, and so on.
Thus begins the four oral rounds of 45 questions. In each room are three tables. While five members are permitted on a team in high-school-level Knowledge Bowl, only four members at a time are allowed to participate in oral rounds, so someone has to sit out. A judge reads off questions. Each table is equipped with a buzzer strip team members press to indicate they would like to attempt to answer; this strip is linked to a box that determines which team buzzed in first in tight rounds.
A team can buzz in at any time, and the judge will stop reading and give the indicated team 15 seconds to answer. If the correct answer is provided, the team is given a point. If incorrect, the other teams will have a chance to try the same question. Teams move between rooms based on how they score in these rounds, and the team with the most points at the end of the meet is declared the winner.
Despite sounding like a dry affair, I can recount from personal experience that Knowledge Bowl can be quite intense, especially with the top teams in Room 1. Here, some of the brightest students in the state listen closely to the questions for hints at the answers, hoping to be the first to buzz in and win the point for their team. I remember many close moments where an entire meet came down to one question, or a teammate’s knowledge of – say – mythology, to win the day.
I always recommend Knowledge Bowl to fellow students. As a junior this year, this is my fourth year in the competition, starting from eighth grade. Through it, I have been able to meet and compete with so many amazing people. When society laments about the sad state of youth these days, I look no further than a Knowledge Bowl meet to know we still have great talent and potential with us. Of course, we don’t always see this because academic competitions do not always receive all the hype sports do.
As the season continues, I wish the best of luck to all coaches, competitors and supporters. Every year brings new challenges and events, but everyone always seems to be in a good mood, no matter what place we end up in. The level of sportsmanship I’ve seen is always extraordinary, and we as students are lucky to have such motivated advisors and administrators to bring these programs to us.
I hope in times of changing budgets and growing schools that academic programs like Knowledge Bowl can be retained. Though for some schools it may be a small program, that program can make a world of difference for some students. It’s been a great experience for me, and I hope it can be a great experience for many more students as the years continue on.
Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
