WWTBAM Bored

Littlest Spock (7th Grade) did awesome at the History Bee Regionals today. There were about 39 7th Graders there and he made the Championship Round of the Top 8. That was kind of a pro-forma deal. The first 3 rounds earn your place.

While we know that he made Top 8, we are pretty sure that he was at least 4th.

The top 8 was pretty heavy with kids of Indian (Dots, not Feathers) descent, but Littlest Spock hung right there with them through the day, so that is his natural level of competition. We don't expect a win at nationals, but he should be competitive at that level anyway.

In his 2nd round, he actually beat out the eventual winner of the Championship round. That really built his confidence.

Congratulations to him! --Bob

That's fantastic. Congrats.

Congratulations, Littlest Spock!

When and where are the nationals?

Thanks, everybody. The Nationals are in Chicago-Thursday-Friday-In that June 9th time-frame. Chicago is a great location for us as it is an easy drive.

I really like the format that they use (at least) for the regionals.

There are 3 rounds of 30 questions in the prelims with (Roughly) 8 contestants in a round. The match-ups are randomized ahead of time.

Once a player get 8 questions correct in a round they are done. However, they get bonus points on a sliding scale depending on how early they win out. For example, if a kid goes out after 8 questions, he /she gets 12 bonus points. Littlest Spock went out at question 21/22 all 3 rounds, thus he got 5 bonus points each time for 13 per round and 39 total.

I think it is more fun for everybody when the good ones go out after 8 with an earned bonus, that way you don't run into a buzzsaw who gets 25 right or something. Everybody claps when somebody goes out with 8.

You are also 4 "Incorrect Interrupts." Each question has 3 parts with the hardest part first. If you buzz in early and get it wrong, that is an "Incorrect Intercept." Everybody also claps when somebody goes out with 4 "Incorrect Interrupts" as those are usually the better players.

Littlest Spock went out during that championship round with 3 points and 4 Incorrect Interrupts. He was playing pretty aggressive against that top group and it didn't work. The downside for him was that the second half of that round had several questions in his wheelhouse that might have worked out for him.

The first one to 8 in that round was the champion.

Good luck to the Li'l Spockster!

The best part for me is that there is a family type quiz game as part of the festivities and I won't have to show any mercy.

Our junior high knowledge bowl team has a night event with parents on the same team as their students. I have done it twice now and I told the kids that I won't do it anymore-we just smoke everybody there. Not bragging, it is just the way it is.

I told the kids-I am kind of like a boxer who killed somebody in the ring and doesn't want to do it anymore. But at History Bee, I can climb back in the ring.