What Is An Academic College Bowl?
An academic college bowl or popularly known as College Bowl "The Varsity Sport of the Mind", is a quiz bowl run and operated for college students. It has been considered as part of the American tradition since it has long existed for fifty-five long years.
It has been in existence since 1953 as aired on radio stations and was eventually televised in 1959. However, the College Bowl suffered from a setback when it was not allowed to be shown on television for seven years. The said quiz bowl was reborn through its appearances on school campuses and it remained so for another 31 years. Sadly last 2008 the quiz bowl was again suspended citing financial constraints.
Surprisingly, the quiz bowl was first formatted for World War II soldiers. Later, it became a radio show for six years. The College Bowl has in fact been off and on radio stations in the span of 31 years with sponsors that come and go to support the academic competition.
How does the quiz bowl work? Originally there were two teams that will face each other, appointing one member as its captain. It begins with a "toss up" question that is worth ten points. Once a team answers the toss up question correctly then this will give them the right to answer the bonus question. This is worth thirty points.
The team members were allowed to help each other but only the team captain can provide the actual answer. A wrong answer will cost the team five points.
Throughout the years the College Bowl evolved into something even highly competitive. The format was also changed to suit the present demands of the educational sector. Most organizations and sponsors saw fit the change the format to make the competition more interesting. There are even international versions of the bowl. During the 70's there was even a College Bowl World Championship which winning teams from the United States competed against the best of U.K.
An academic college bowl is a good way to promote the college. During half-time the team members will talk about career plans and a short film about the participating schools will be allowed to be aired.
Winning teams usually received huge grants for their schools. Originally the grants were at $500 for each successful school. Today, the grants are generous enough to provide winning schools the best facilities such as dormitories and sports.
There is no doubt that the academic college bowl has contributed much to the American tradition and history. It serves as an avenue for educational support and social interaction. it also opened doors for some of the greatest minds in America. There is no doubt that these provided entertainment to millions all throughout the years that it aired college bowl competitions.
The College bowl has 17 seasons and has received a widespread recognition from Presidents and other important people and major organizations. It has also given more than 500 schools the chance to receive recognition, prestige and grants. In fact, the College Bowl has raised millions for this purpose alone.
Why is being a member of the college bowl team important? When you apply later for other post graduate studies a section for extracurricular activities are placed in the application form. Most schools look at these since there are thousands of applicants applying. Extracurricular activities make you survive the cut to be admitted in the school of your choice.
There is a lot of online information regarding the Academic College Bowl. If you are considering enrolling in a school with a strong College Bowl team then you can always ask around or look online for some answers.
College Quiz Bowl Programs
- College Bowl- A Very Good Overview.
- Princeton University College Bowl
- Swarthmore College Bowl