Students sit on either side of a room on teams of four, waiting in anticipation. Their hands hover slightly over a buzzer as they listen for the next question to be asked. It’s not long before multiple hands hit the buzzers. Fortunately, one of them was slightly faster than the others, earning the opportunity to answer the question. The student answers the question correctly, earning a point for their team. These students are competing in a knowledge-based competition called Quiz Bowl.

“My favorite part of being on the team is just the fun atmosphere everyone brings. It makes winning better and even losing better,” junior Breck O’Grady said.

Quiz Bowl consists of a team of students that compete over their knowledge of trivia and random facts. At East, this group meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school in instructor David Bossman’s classroom.

“As a naturally competitive person, I like the competitions. But I also like the large number of students who come to practice. Practice can be loud and competitive and even a bit crazy sometimes, but it’s fun and I like to see my students get into it and passionate about knowing random stuff,” Bossman said.

Bossman has been the sponsor of the group since he started teaching at East in 2002. He personally enjoys the activity and creating an inclusive environment for everyone interested.

“I love trivia and knowing random things, so naturally I like sharing that love with students who also like knowing random things. Quiz bowl is open to anyone and I’ve tried to ensure that anyone who is interested in showcasing their knowledge of a wide-range of topics can participate and perhaps compete,” Bossman said.

While multiple students attend these practices, only few go on to actually compete in the local competitions. Students that are not in the group for competition purposes enjoy the social aspect of the group.

“I really enjoy just getting the opportunity to spend time with my friends and bond over our common interests in random knowledge. It is really just a unique experience,” senior Maddie McClure said.

The students that do go on to compete attend multiple competitions in the area. This year, they finished third at the All-Girls Quiz Bowl competition, second at the Ralston competition, and second at the State Science Bowl Quiz Bowl competition.

“The competitions are going pretty good, although we haven’t had one in a while. Last year we had more competitions than this year so it’s harder to compare, but we have improved as a team,” O’Grady said.

Being a part of this group can provide the opportunity for students interested in the same activity to interact and find people with similar interests to them. The community created within this group can build many friendships.

“I joined because I heard it was a good group of fun people who knew a lot about random information and I felt I belong in that group, and I do,” O’Grady said.