Why I Love Quiz Bowl

I've always been a fan of quiz bowl, but my appreciation has been growing for more than a few reasons.

First, while I love the passion and enthusiasm of fans at sporting events, it's a little refreshing to be at a contest where the spectators are required to be silent.

Secondly, the qualities that make for a good quiz bowl competitor are in short supply in our culture. A good quiz bowler has to know stuff. Increasingly our society seems to reject the idea that it is helpful to know facts. More and more we reward ignorance from folks who enjoy putting their ignorance on full display. Also, a good quiz bowler needs to be curious. Curiosity is a trait that is in short supply. In spite of the level of ignorance, we see folks rising in prominence who apparently believe they know it all. A dedicated quiz bowler is constantly seeking to increase their knowledge. More than anything, I appreciate quiz bowl because in quiz bowl knowledge is power. Correct answers and correct answers only score points, and while I do know of an instance of a fourteen year old girl bullying a judge into giving her a point, volume and bravado are typically not rewarded.

I have hopes that our society will self correct and begin to value knowledge and competency over ignorance and noise, but at the rate we are going there may be too few knowledgeable and competent folks left.

A time may soon come when quiz bowlers are society's only hope.