Kaden Schaefer, a sophomore at New Ulm High School, has been participating in Knowledge Bowl for the past two years at a varsity level, which displays his mix of intelligence and reaction time. He describes Knowledge Bowl as a place where “people show off their knowledge by going through a written round and an oral round as they use their knowledge to get the most answers correct.”

Generally, Knowledge Bowl involves one written round and four oral rounds. During the written rounds, teams (usually four to five players) are given a sixty-question packet that they have to complete within forty-five minutes. The written round determines where teams will be placed for the oral rounds. During the oral rounds, teams will be prompted a question and will have to buzz in (similar to the game Jeopardy) on a long strip to answer. The lower-number rooms, where Kaden usually places, are more competitive.

“Being on varsity as a sophomore can be stressful at times as you try to keep your spot on a high team, but also very fun as you’re competing for a high place,” Kaden said.