Out of more than 80 applicants, the Bromfield School quiz team was one of 16 competitors that qualified for WGBH’s “High School Quiz Show” this season. In an episode that aired Saturday, Feb. 10, Bromfield faced off against Belmont High School in a fast-moving game that ended with Belmont on top, 470 points to Bromfield’s 325. Belmont moved on to the quarterfinals.
Representing Bromfield were teammates Kevin Yu, Yohhan Kumarasinghe, Grace Acton, and Vivian Liu, with alternates Kira Houston and Ivy Wang cheering them on in the studio audience. The team’s coaches were psychology teacher Kathleen Doherty and parent Miriam Smith.
Belmont jumped out to an early lead and never fell behind, although the Bromfield team came within striking distance several times. The range of questions that students tackled successfully was apparent from some of the answers—Sir Isaac Newton, Aaron Hernandez, the Hindenburg, Jackson Pollock, Vilnius, Edith Wharton, the Spanish Armada.
Some questions flummoxed both teams. No one knew that Che Guevara’s official first name was Ernesto or that “first lady of country music” referred to Loretta Lynn. (Neither did this reporter.) More surprisingly, none of these eight top students could identify the junior senator from Massachusetts (Ed Markey) or say how long a term is for the U.S. House of Representatives (two years).
Doherty wrote in an email that Bromfield’s rivals from Belmont “were a very nice group, and we really hope they win the whole thing!” She noted that the Bromfield quiz team is still active, competing in an eight-week online “Quiznet” tournament. Several new members have joined since the show aired. And another live tournament is planned for the spring, where Bromfield may get another crack at Belmont.
When Bromfield next sends a quiz team to competition, members will have been able to practice with a buzzer system purchased with a grant from the Harvard Schools Trust. “Practice with our own buzzer system will hopefully help us get to the buzzer quicker if we make it to the WGBH ‘Quiz Show’ again next year, which we hope to!” Doherty wrote.
