Have you seen the posters? Heard the announcements? Passed by Uncle Sam’s pointing fingers at you?

That’s right, Scholars Bowl is back!

Don’t know what Scholars Bowl is?

Essentially, it’s team Jeopardy, with questions that range from subjects such as history to art to current events. Working with a team of five, contestants compete with other teams to see who can triumph in several rounds of 16 questions. Each person on the team brings their own strengths to the table. These teams come from all around Kansas to battle it out in a test of knowledge and teamwork. The club has been at North since the 1980’s.

We sat down with head coach Andrew McCoskey to talk about what makes Scholar’s Bowl special.

“(Scholar’s Bowl) is not just for kids who are ‘smart,’ it’s for those who are competitive, love to work together, and are really involved in school,” he said.

Coach McCoskey himself was a member of North’s Scholars Bowl team when he attended North High. He was the assistant coach for two years before becoming head coach. This is his third year of holding that position. When he became a teacher, he wanted to keep Scholar’s Bowl going, believing the club was important for students.

“We celebrate kids who have athletic ability and not those who are in the pursuit of knowledge,” he said.

That’s the great thing about Scholar’s Bowl. He added on.

“It’s great to see the kids compete and get competitive about knowledge.”

In that pursuit of knowledge there are plenty opportunities to make friends and get closer to the team while you’re at it!

“It’s great to see different kids who don’t know each other real well come together.”

This year’s team captain North High senior Allison Waldt expanded on the team’s friendly atmosphere.

“I think that we are a very similar group, we all have higher classes that give us a different perspective. I’ve become friends with Scholars Bowl people and hang out with them after school. It’s academic but it’s also very fun.”

Waldt continues with how much Scholar’s Bowl means to her.

“It’s given me a cool extracurricular to do that isn’t just sports and its very different from other clubs. It allows me to be competitive without having to do a sport and adhere to a strict training regime.”

For anyone interested in Scholars Bowl all you need to have is a willingness to learn, a competitive spirit, work ethic, and more importantly a sense of humor.

Head to Room A301 on Friday August 27^th at lunch for more information.