Leah De La Torre

NMSU’s Quiz Bowl team participating in their pirate-themed bake sale, hoping to reach potential members and raise club funds.

Competitive academic trivia conjures the image of game shows, blurted out answers, and questions designed to confuse the recipient. New Mexico State University’s Quiz Bowl team is a small group on campus out to prove that quiz bowl is for everyone, and that the group is slowly working its way to competitive recognition, one lemon bar at a time.  

To celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19, the Quiz Bowl team held a bake sale fundraiser that featured a fake boat, lemon bars, pirate costumes, and plenty of “Arr’s” to go around. Stationed between Milton and Zuhl Library, student members raised money and had plenty of fun in the process.  

Quiz bowl is an organization making themselves known this semester, having participated in two events already. The group hosted a trivia night at the William Conroy Honors Center and helped host karaoke at Pete’s ’50s night. The group is small but is working to get others involved on campus through a series of unique fundraisers and recruiting events.  

Of course, this is the first event on campus that involved a pirate ship.  

“We started doing pirate bake sales last year, but this is the first time that we were able to do them during National Talk Like a Pirate Day,” said Quiz Bowl President Z Burns. 

The event began promptly at 8 a.m. and went on until 5 p.m. with the various members of Quiz Bowl manning the bake sale ship throughout the day. The group answered questions from passersby, sold many of their baked goods, and talked like pirates. The rotating staff, who took breaks for classes, is an eclectic group of students across different majors and fields. Despite their varying careers, they were all united in their goal for the day.  

With the booth set up, Quiz Bowl’s crew had to weather the greatest storm of all on campus: the ebb and flow of foot traffic and the shifting tides of class schedules. The band of pirates weathered the storm, with members taking plenty of breaks while others manned the empty post.  

“I helped set up this morning around eight and then I had to leave for classes around 10:30 a.m. and then came back about 3 p.m., and I’ve been here since,” said member Rose Enjady. 

Between selling their baked goods, the group enthusiastically answered questions from passersby, all members eager to explain what Quiz Bowl is and why they were dressed like pirates. The group has done pirate bake sales before, but this was the first year that they were able to do so on National Talk Like a Pirate Day.  

Faculty advisor Dr. Anne Hubbell praised the group for their creativity and tenacity. The group is known for being dedicated to academic trivia, but Dr. Hubbell wanted to point out the other ways that Quiz Bowl unites its members outside of learning.  

“They are a really clever, fun group of students who have really thought outside the box to get people to realize what they do: they compete, and they do great things,” said Dr. Hubbell.  

One of the many questions for the pirates was about the nature of the quiz bowl itself. Academic trivia is daunting for the uninitiated but is explained as an opportunity for its members to learn about a wide range of topics. Competitions require the students to be able to speak well and think under pressure, and the group helps encourage leadership among its members.  

The group’s major goal is participating in the regional collegiate competition in California. The group is working on fundraising for the trip, and the pirate bake sale is the first of many ways the group is working to make money.  

“We’re trying to get some money so we can make sure that all our members who want to compete get a chance to,” said Burns. “All money used would be used for gas costs, registration for the tournament, and housing.”  

If NMSU’s team does well at the regional competition, the team will have a chance to compete at the national level. 

Beyond their ambitious competitive goals, Quiz Bowl is also using their funds to help the Borderland community at large. Between practices in Pete V. Domenici Hall, the group is also working to help form quiz bowl teams in Las Cruces high schools and start a team out in Deming.  

Between helping in their community and planning out unique fundraisers, the group has made themselves a quiet but robust part of campus life. The group is working with ASNMSU to grow their budget for the trip, hoping for reimbursement from their travel expenses. The group is optimistic about their ongoing dialogue with campus leadership. 

“NMSU is very supportive of the club,” said Rose Enjady, Quiz Bowl’s ASNMSU representative.  

While the merry band of academic pirates is strong on their own, they are still grateful for every person who chooses to get involved with the group. Anyone who wishes to join is encouraged to attend their meetings, and the group is always grateful for support.  

Whether you are constantly looking for your next trivia fix or just looking for an on-campus organization to support, Quiz Bowl hosts events and opportunities for everyone to get involved. 

For more information, follow NMSU Quiz Bowl at @nmsuquizbowl on Instagram, or reach out to the club at their email address [email protected].