Aujin Kim
November 20th, 2021
On September 21, the HKIS Quiz Bowl team gathered at German Swiss International School to compete in Mind Over Matter, an inter-school trivia competition organized by TSOL (Tvameva Solutions Overseas Limited). After hours of racking brains to answer the most obscure of questions in 9 different rounds, HKIS Team 1, comprised of Danny Han (11), Marvin Wong (11), and Daniel Zheng (11), won 3rd place overall. Both of the other two teams also won in individual categories, with Team 2 and Team 3 winning second in Science and first in Entertainment respectively.
Mind Over Matter covers a variety of different topics in its 9 rounds, including Geography, Entertainment, Science, Sports, and even local trivia. In each round, competitors answer random questions in this vast range: from Game of Thrones lore to characteristics of primates. Although this task may seem harrowing, being tested on miscellaneous knowledge is at the core of what makes trivia so entertaining and exciting.
With at least one team from HKIS making it to the final round of the competition every year for the past 4 years, the pressure to carry on the legacy was weighing heavily on this year’s participants. Tensions were especially high in the air, with 6 out of 9 students being first timers. “Guys, it would be really sad if none of us make it to the finals this year,” declared experienced Quiz Bowler Danny Han (11) during the short lunch break between the preliminary and the finals. Thankfully, Danny’s worries never came to fruition. All 3 HKIS teams brought back medals, with Danny’s own team making it to the finals. First-time participant Vikram Krishna (10) described his receiving the VR Headset for winning the Entertainment round as “hard-earned”. He also encouraged newcomers to not be afraid to join. “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a lot of the stuff the first time you go to Quiz Bowl. It takes time to improve.”
Overall, all HKIS Quiz Bowlers can agree that this year's Mind Over Matter competition was an experience that was both entertaining and educational. The participants took advantage of this fun and engaging competition as an opportunity to adopt the competitive Quiz Bowl mindset, as the NAQT (National Academic Quiz Tournaments) Shanghai Invitational on October 26 is approaching rapidly. They also improved their team dynamic and heightened their team spirit and pride. With a passion for learning new things and zeal for new challenges, HKIS Quiz Bowlers will continue to push their limits in competitions to come.