A team of four seniors participated in the first-ever trial run of Austin PBS station’s Quiz Bowl Show on Nov. 19, 2024, competing against eight other teams in a practice trivia showdown based off a similar show at a PBS station in Massachusetts.
Thanks to the efforts of seniors Andy Zhou, Avanee Nagory, Hamza Rahman, Zainab Ali Asgar and their sponsor, German teacher Kris Kregel, the Austin show is currently in further development, with more updates coming in spring 2025.
“It was kind of scary, because it was really on the spot,” Nagory said. “Once we did it, it was really fun because I think since everyone didn’t know what they were doing, it was a learning experience for everyone.”
The team practiced the best they could, going over trivia questions and buzzer systems with Mr. Kregel, which was not without its difficulties.
“I think practicing was difficult because when it’s trivia, you don’t really know what could be on there,” Ali Asgar said. “It could be anything from questions about operas to questions about insect classification, so you don’t really know what to study.”
Despite these hardships, the team placed second and managed to have fun in the process as well.
“Being able to compete on an actual show is a really cool thing to be able to do,” Nagory said. “If I was a junior this year, I would have done it again next year, because I think it’s a really fun experience.”
Although this year’s team won’t be competing again, McNeil will still have a chance to compete when the show is in production stage.
“We’re slowly on the road to building a new team for people who might be interested,” Mr. Kregel said. “I think there are a lot of kids out there that have some trivia knowledge and they want to share that with the world.”
Additionally, the further development of the show is a welcome surprise for McNeil alum of 2011 Chris Welhausen, who is now Marketing Manager at Austin PBS.
“It means a lot to me to be able to work on a project that helps highlight and celebrate students from McNeil,” Welhausen said. “I’m excited about this show because I hope it reminds high school students about PBS and helps show them how great public media is.”
Furthermore, this year’s team feels proud that they got to be part of the first Austin show, even though they won’t get the same chance next year.
“I really like Austin, so it’s pretty cool to be part of something new, especially as a senior,” Ali Asgar said. “I’m kind of leaving my hometown with this really good experience. I’m leaving the city, but also leaving something behind as well.”
