Battles in basketball and soccer may be well documented by alumni of local Catholic schools, but the battles of the mind in the Catholic School’s Quiz Bowl are not so well documented. Over the past 20 years, K-8 students from all corners of the archdiocese have been congregating at the University of St. Thomas to compete against rival schools in the Catholic School’s Quiz Bowl. Local Catholic high schools play a major role in orchestrating the quiz bowl since many of their future students attend the competing schools.

Schools such as Holy Angels Academy and Cretin-Derham Hall have a long-standing connection with the Catholic School’s Quiz Bowl and have been spearheading the effort since its inauguration. Allowing BSM to help administer the quiz bowl will give it more opportunities to reach out to the local Catholic schools for students. ”BSM hasn’t been involved for a long time, but last year was the first year [the] BSM [Junior High] competed and [it] did very well placing third,” admissions officer Ms. Samantha Savoie said.

Not only does the quiz bowl serve as a great way for pupils from local Catholic schools to compete against one another, it also provides volunteering opportunities for students from the Catholic high schools that are hosting the quiz bowl. The quiz bowl takes a lot of upkeep, from serving lunch to administering the actual quiz, so volunteers are a necessity. This year BSM sent sophomore Annabell Hilson and freshmen Harry Meshbesher to help the competition. “It’s long-standing tradition that Catholic high schools have sponsored. We put in our efforts for printing programs and providing lunch,” Savoie said.

BSM also plays a role in helping the tournament run by hosting a room in the competition. “The way that it works is that each high school hosts a room, so BSM hosts a room with about four teams circulating throughout the room. For example, Risen Christ and Sacred Heart would duke it out in that room,” Savoie said.

The quiz bowl presented a unique opportunity for BSM. The junior high gets the opportunity to compete and win a test of their knowledge. The senior high has an opportunity to help out local area Catholic schools, and the schools gain exposure to BSM.