# In which Punha wonders if there are any quizbowlers reading; or, For ten points . . .

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-punha-wonders-if-there-are-any-quizbowlers-reading-or-for-ten-points/65213>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 12, 2001, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-punha-wonders-if-there-are-any-quizbowlers-reading-or-for-ten-points/65213 "2001-05-12T14:12:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-punha-wonders-if-there-are-any-quizbowlers-reading-or-for-ten-points/65213/21 "2001-05-13T09:07:02Z")

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I’ve been coaching a middle-school Scholar’s Bowl team for six years now. There’s more competition to get on this team than any of the sports’ teams. The great thing about academic competitions like this is that team selection can be absolutely based on merit. The student who gets the most questions right makes the team. It’s a perfect meritocracy.

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-punha-wonders-if-there-are-any-quizbowlers-reading-or-for-ten-points/65213/22 "2001-05-13T12:15:39Z")

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My high school didn’t compete in Quiz Bowl, but we did field an It’s Academic team, on which I appeared three straight years, and as captain the last two. We lost our first round the first year, and won it the last two years, but lost in the returning semi-final round both years.

I was most impressed with the show’s producer. Several years after I competed, I was in the audience to watch my brother compete, and he spotted me as an alum, and got Mac MacGarry to introduce me. Ego-building? You bet.

- Rick

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-punha-wonders-if-there-are-any-quizbowlers-reading-or-for-ten-points/65213/23 "2001-05-14T14:24:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Number Six \*  
> **The great thing about academic competitions like this is that team selection can be absolutely based on merit. The student who gets the most questions right makes the team. It’s a perfect meritocracy.**

That is one of the greatest things about quiz bowl. However, some people didn’t seem to get it. I was the Captain this year so I also decided who played what rounds and such. Two members couldn’t understand why they were only playing 1 round even though they just showed up for matches and had few points which were obtained by answering questions.

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