On Feb. 23, AHS History Bowl went to their first competition at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, California, and qualified to go to Nationals.

All five History Bowl teams qualified for Nationals: two Varsity and three Junior Varsity teams. In Junior Varsity, Arcadia C placed second to St. Margaret’s A (a one-man team) while Arcadia D and E were semifinalists. In History Bee (an optional individual-style of History Bowl), freshman Amogh Kulkarni placed 2nd to St. Margaret’s while senior Captain Andrew Hoagland placed 1st.

Each game consists of four quarters. The first quarter often has relatively short toss-ups worth 10 points each in the State and Regional Competitions. The second quarter contains eight slightly longer questions worth 10 points. After each correctly answered toss-up, only the team that answered that question correctly has the chance to answer a related bonus question also worth 10 points, where team members may confer on the bonus questions. Next, the third quarter is a 60-second “lightning round” made up of eight very short questions on one theme. Finally, the fourth quarter has eight longer questions worth 10-30  points, with the number of points earned dependent on how fast the correct answer is given. Each round contains at least one question about the history of science/technology, sports, entertainment/pop culture, visual art, music, geography, religion, literature, philosophy/social science/mythology, and other recent histories. Unlike most other bowls, teams in History Bowl are never deducted for giving a wrong answer. However, there are other penalties in lieu.

Junior Spencer Cheng enjoys competing on History Bowl because he “enjoys the opportunity to hang out with friends and especially enjoy Nationals as we get to bond over a few days of intense competition. In addition, I just really like history and it is a field that I am interested in for the future.” However, he also believes that there is room to improve as well, specifying that he thinks “the team can improve by having better attendance and also having a better attitude towards their commitment towards the team. Most of what we are about is self-studying and if the members are not willing to sacrifice their time to become better, we will not get anywhere. To study, I do a lot of reading of ancient texts that I am interested in and also, I like to build real knowledge of knowing the causes and effects of historical events rather than just memorizing stock clues. Having real knowledge also helps as it deepens your memory.”

Although History Bowl performed with flying colors at Regionals, there is still Nationals to go, held on Apr. 26-28 in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA. However, California State Championships are held at our very own high school on Saturday, Mar. 23, so please try to come and support the team! Congratulations, History Bowl, and good luck in the future!