Trivia makes students want to shout
Princess Maryanne Nwora, a junior, researches trivia history.
January 11, 2022
“Alright, settle down, settle down,” Dr. Richard Parr said.
Rambunctious students couldn’t stop laughing – and arguing and yelling – after the trivia answer was revealed. Then, arguments broke loose when the students lost points. The score mattered.
Dr. Parr, Upper School math teacher, stood in the front of the class while he held note cards filled with questions he found in trivia books and games.
“This was my first time teaching the class, but I have always been interested in it and thought it would be fun to explore,” said Dr. Parr, who is the sponsor for the Upper School’s quizbowl team. Quizbowl influenced Dr. Parr’s path to trivia.
Quizbowl and trivia share similar aspects such as thinking and asking questions. While quizbowl is more based on relevant, academic questions, trivia has a more light, fun aspect.
Whether the questions were derived from the app Trivia Crack, online websites or books, there was a wide variety of sources.
Dr. Parr asked questions focused on movies, fashion, food, pop culture, the options never ran out. The more random the questions, the more interesting it was for the students.
“Which is smaller? A T-rex or a blue whale?” Dr. Parr asked.
Even if the students didn’t know the answer, they still seemed to be intrigued to discover them.
Sophomore Shadé Ayoade said being in the class makes her think she would enjoy being a trivia talk show host.
“It sounds fun because I would get to see a variety of answers that contestants say,” Ayoade said.
But trivia is not just playing games and answering questions. Dr. Parr provided a lesson in the history of trivia games, which were popularized by television shows in the 1950s.
To say students were having fun in his class is a bit understated. The volume in the classroom could go from zero to 10 easily as Dr. Parr’s questions provoked answers that students couldn’t help but shout.
