November 13, 2000

Cornellians Participate in College Bowl

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College Bowl struck the Art Gallery of Willard Straight Hall on Saturday afternoon with 26 teams competing to represent Cornell at the regional tournament to be held on February 16 to 18.

The event was sponsored by the Cornell University Program Board (CUPB).

Anyone could compete in the tournament as long as they had four members to play. “I had a bunch of friends that signed up from my floor,” said Ryan Karins ’04, a member of the winning team.

Weekly practices were key for Karins and team members Evelyn Browne grad, Anwar Kashem ’01, Steve Melnick ’03 and Kim Gillece ’04.

Melnick said that he was “happy to be able to represent Cornell [and I] hope to be able to keep the tradition going.”

College Bowl is a question and answer game played between two teams of four players each plus alternates. There are two types of questions: toss-ups, worth ten points each, and bonuses, worth a stated number of points, from 20 to 30 each.

Questions — ranging from natural science and current events, to American History and Popular Culture — are purchased from the College Bowl Company, according to Joe Scaffido, assistant dean of students and advisor to the CUPB.

There were 50 games in the six-hour competition and each game lasted 14 minutes. Although the College Bowl designates the rules, the CUPB is responsible for its management.

“It’s a little confusing, but by the end of the day we all figure it out,” said Craig Koester ’01, chair of the CUPD.

Students responded to the competition enthusiastically. “If I wasn’t in it, I would want to do it,” said Karins. “It’s a lot of fun.”

“We were impressed by all of the teams,” said Koester. “The knowledge of these people amazes me.”

The longstanding College Bowl program has held major stints on major network stations including CBS, NBC, the Disney Channel and the BBC. In 1977, College Bowl, in conjunction with the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), organized official competition at the campus, regional and national levels.

Cornell’s winning team, the academic quiz bowl team number 2, will attempt to bring home another regional victory on February 16 to18 at St. John Fisher College.

Cornell has won 14 of the last 15 regional College Bowl competitions; winners compete in the National Tournament to be held this year in April.

Archived article by Colin Ilgen