After adjusting to virtual practices, the Northwestern Quizbowl team won first place among undergraduate teams in an online tournament hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln via Discord.

McCormick sophomore and team member Beni Keown said he was pleased with the team’s results.

“It was extremely gratifying,” Keown said. “In past tournaments, NU has been solid, but nowhere near contention for any titles. As the day went on and we kept winning against solid teams, it was surprising. When we finished, it was a really cool feeling that we were the best undergrad team.”

Each of the three NU teams competing had their share of success. The A team, composed of four graduate students, placed second in the whole tournament. The B team, made up of four undergraduate students, took home first among teams without graduate students and the C team of two freshmen, held their own with two wins in the tournament.

The club continues to host meetings over Discord every Monday and Thursday for two hours. Weinberg freshman Chloe Chow, one of the members, said the experience is worth it, despite the difficulties of the club being entirely online.

“It’s nice to have something every week when you can just do something and chat,” she said.

According to Keown, the team’s camaraderie is largely due to how accustomed the members have become to online practices and occasional in-person activities.

“We have been exclusively online for almost a year now and it just feels natural at this point,” Keown said. “So during practice, I do not feel like I am missing anything… We would often do little informal social things like grabbing food after practice, but obviously (that) can’t happen easily now.”

According to Weinberg junior Justin Jasperse, the team’s focus this year has shifted due to the number of tournaments decreasing.

“Going forward, we are looking to make changes in leadership due to graduating members while focusing on being more competitive,” Jasperse said.

Another important event for the team occurs around March when the team hosts Jr. Wildcat, a tournament for middle schoolers. The club does not receive funding from the University, so the team relies on Jr. Wildcat to raise money. This year, Quizbowl hopes to host the event virtually.

“Beni and I have been pushing for fundraising because of how important it is to fund travels and fees,” Jasperse said. “He has taken the lead (to) ensure our club has financial stability while being a positive force in the greater community.”

Keown said he believes Jr. Wildcat will not only be important for the Northwestern team to raise money, but also a fun experience for the middle schoolers participating in the event.

“I think the middle schoolers are very excited given there has not been much in quiz bowl during COVID,” Keown said. “It’s my first time, but so far everything is going relatively smooth and I think this will be a good experience.”

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