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  3. Knowledge Bowl

Knowledge Bowl

Advisor: Marco Bicchieri
email: marco.bicchieri@esd401.org

  • Regrettably, due to COVID concerns, the 2020-21 Knowledge Bowl season has been suspended.  There is a chance that we will have an abbreviated season in the winter or spring.  I will maintain communication with our captains with the goal of creating some type of virtual practices, perhaps beginning in November.  If we get back to face-to-face school, we will have practices - about two per week - during the season.

Meeting Times: Tuesdays & Thursdays; 3:15-4:45 p.m.
Meeting Place: Mr. Bicchieri's Room (E207)

Club Description: We're a promoter of intellectual curiosity, an organization anyone can join, and one of the most successful clubs of it's type in the region. If this interests you, Knowledge Bowl is definitely up your alley. We're an academic trivia team that goes head-to-head with other high schools - not only against Central Washington schools, but also with schools statewide. During the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, we won second place for AA high schools!

Our season begins in November, and typically spans until March. But, Knowledge Bowl isn't a full-season commitment - you can start attending at any time during the season. Regular attendees are a shoo-in to participate in at least one of the four regular season meets (held monthly November through Mid-March), but anyone looking for something to do Tuesdays and Thursdays is welcome to join in on the fun.

Three Fun Facts About The Club:

  • We have creative and fun team shirts, and the club covers a majority of their cost!
  • Knowledge Bowl contains NONE of the following: wind sprints, summer conditioning, parent group participation!
  • Everyone who comes to our student-led practices regularly gets to participate in a meet!

Why Should You Join?

We want to engage in both student leadership and an intellectually stimulating social activity!

Greeting

Greetings for the 2020-21 Knowledge Bowl Season!

As always, this is going to be a rich and fun year for us Knowledge Bowlers! Knowledge Bowl
(KB) is sort of an activity/sports hybrid with 4 regular season meets (from November through February).
It is relatively casual and not as rigid as our WIAA sports, yet we do practice, members can letter, and we
have a regional and state competition. This eclectic quality, along with the positive, curious, open-
minded students who make up the core of our team, make KB a great activity for any student; and any
student is welcome to attend practice. Beginning in late October, our practices take place each Tuesday
and Thursday, from 3:15-4:45 P.M., in Room 207. Practice mostly includes mock competitions. We
encourage students to try a couple of practices if they are not sure if they want to participate in KB.
Students do not have to attend every practice to be a part of the team, but those who attend regularly will
get to compete in at least one meet. It is a lot of fun and an enjoyable way to learn and meet great people.
Please also read the other information on this site to learn more about KB, and feel free to speak
with one our members or to contact me with any further questions.

Glad to “meet” you,
Marco K. Bicchieri
Knowledge Bowl Coach
Chair of Social Studies
Work:  509.925.8300, ext. 3207
Home: 509.925.7815

Lettering

2020-21 Lettering Decision:

Eligibility Requirements for Lettering in Knowledge Bowl:

Below is a list of how KB participants can earn a letter for their accomplishments in
Knowledge Bowl. All recipients will be the final decision of the Head Coach. Please see the
Head Coach (Marco Bicchieri), with any questions/concerns.
How to Letter in Knowledge Bowl:

Though all those who attend practice regularly will earn a KB Letter of Participation, to letter in
Knowledge Bowl, you must meet requirements #1, 2, 3 &/or 4:
1) Attend at least 80% of practices
2) Compete in at least 2 competitions (includes regular season, districts, and State)
3) Complete two hours of community service.
4) Head Coach reserves the right to award a letter for “special circumstances” (e.g., a senior
who attended all 90% of the practices for four years, was a positive and helpful teammate
but was never selected for two competitions in a year).
Competition Teams will be picked based on a consultation between the coach and the captain(s),
but we will attempt to take all members who attend practice regularly to at least one regular
season meet. We are generally allowed to take three teams of five each to most meets. Regional
and State, where only one team of up to six is allowed, will be comprised of our top performers
based on a combination of the following criteria: seniority, practice attendance, performance in
practice, performance in past competitions, and knowledge specialties.

Regional & State Competitions

2020-21 Regional and State Knowledge Bowl Competitions

Regional and State competitions only allow for one team of six from each school. These teams
will be comprised of our top performers based on a combination of the following criteria:
seniority, practice attendance, performance in practice, performance in past competitions, and
knowledge specialties.

EHS often has the opportunity to host regionals. Spectators are welcome!

Historically, KB State is on the first or second Saturday during the Ellensburg School district/
Central Washington University Spring Break.

If the State site is a long drive away, we will leave the Friday at the start of school and spend the
night in a hotel. The District pays for the hotel and gives each team member a small amount of
meal money.

My wife will accompany us, so we have a chaperone of each gender.

Regular Season Meets

2020-21 Regular Season Knowledge Bowl Meets

  • Regrettably, due to COVID concerns, the 2020-21 Knowledge Bowl season has been suspended.  There is a chance that we will have an abbreviated season in the winter or spring. 
  • There are four regular season meets, usually one per month from November through February.
  • Meets are usually hosted by Yakima Valley Schools.
  • We compete against schools of all classifications during the regular season; and only AA schools
    for Regionals and State.
  • My wife and I each drive a vehicle.
  • Students usually only miss 6th period when we travel. Occasionally, they may miss part of 5th .
  • We usually go out to eat after a meet. If there are enough kids to fill a vehicle who want to go
    straight home, my wife will drive them.
  • Meets begin about 3:30pm and end around 6:00 or 6:30.
  • Spectators are welcome, though the audience has to be quiet, off phones, etc.
  • We usually arrive home by 8:30, depending on which school hosts.
  • Meet hosts generally allow us to take three teams of five each to each competition.
  • Depending on the size of our team, we try to get all students who regularly attend practice to at least one meet.

    For Regionals and State, we select a “varsity” team of six students that competes in both.