Often when the words “high school competition” are said, people instantly think of sports. However, Noblesville High Schools Quiz Bowl team, the White River Academic Team, although they are not widely known, take high school competitions in a different direction.

On November 22, a small group from the White River Academic Team participated in the annual Brain Game competition. Hosted by Chuck Lofton at the WTHR studio, the Brain Game is a quiz bowl competition where randomly chosen trivia questions are asked, and the first team to respond correctly gets a point.

First aired in 1972, the Brain Game offers a prize of $7,000 to the winning school and anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 to 2nd through 8th place winners.

Senior Brian Schnoor competed on the Brain Game for the first time this year.

“I was a little nervous before and after I said something, but you should just say something because you might get the point. You will say a lot of stupid answers to go along with your brilliant answers,” Schnoor said.

Although Schnoor has only been competing with the White River Academic Team for a year, he has already gained experience through the competitions and plans to use the abilities a year of competing has taught him while he is away at college.

“I have added this to my resume and college applications and hopefully that will attract [college’s] attention first of all,” Schnoor said. “Then I think the thinking on your feet is an important skill, and it applies to just about everything in one form or another. Dealing with pressure is another good skill; I mean, being on tv and still answering questions coherently is a useful skill to have.”

However, the Brain Game isn’t the only competition that taught Brian these important skills. He and the 14 other members of the White River Academic League travel around the state competing with other local schools in smaller and more relaxed competitions.

According to the team coach Gary Hipes, about 28 other schools competes against one another, and they have complete freedom to choose which competitions they enter. Before a typical competition, the team comes together and practices one of the hardest parts about Quiz Bowl: buzzing in answers. As the coach, Hipes helps with these practices but also decides who is going to compete on varsity and junior varsity.

For Sophomore Tiffany Nguyen, deciding to join the Quiz Bowl team was easy.

“Even if you don’t think you are smart, there are probably some questions that you are able to answer,” Nguyen said. “But I’m not the smartest one on the team, so I kind of cringe when people answer questions that I have no idea what the answer is whatsoever, and I’m obviously scared to actually push the buzzer. I know it’s really dumb but I literally hesitate.”

Nguyen plans to continue participating in Quiz Bowl throughout high school and hopes to eventually compete in the Brain Game.
To watch Schnoor and his fellow Quiz Bowlers go to WTHR.com and stay tuned as they head
into round two.