Grades 5, 6 compete in introductory quiz bowl tournament
Fast buzzes abound as students in fifth and sixth grade compete against their classmates in the Welcome to USN Quiz Bowl Tournament.
By Richard Rosenthal, Latin Teacher & MS Quiz Bowl Coach
On Saturday, November 12, University School of Nashville's Middle School quiz bowl team hosted its own Welcome to USN Quiz Bowl Tournament giving the team's younger competitors — 20 students in fifth and sixth grades — a first taste of the fast-paced fun of quiz bowl competitions.
Although it was the first tournament for most, these fierce competitors faced questions at up to an eighth grade level.
These intelligent and brave players were: Elinor Bird '29, Mimi Blind '30, Anna Brook '30, Clio Cherry-Pulay '29, Sky Coomer '30, Rose Doyle '30, Lucy Garrison '30, Matthew Golann '29, Asher Huffman '29, Harper Hughey '29, Lucas Little '29, Olive Lueken '30, Liam McLaughlin '30, Isaiah Ng '30, Nora O'Loughlin '30, Phoebe Schneider '30, Kavya Shah '30, Vihaan Sinha '29, Alyvia Thompson '30, and Peter Treiff '30.
Seventh and eighth grade members of the team officiated the matches. We appreciate the great help of Ayla Acra '27, Charlie Blau '27, Basil Broemel '28, Lucia Gellert '27, Karsen Puzniak '27, Ruchika Ramachandran '27, Aaron Raney '27, and Coco Shepherd '27.
The team also thanks Fifth Grade Social Studies Teacher Connie Fink and Head of Middle School Jeff Greenfield for their help. And the players enjoyed having so many grandparents, parents, and siblings watch them buzz.
The Quiz Bowl team traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to face several top teams from across the country at this year's South Warren Tournament. USN's second-place finish earned the team an invitation to the National Academic Quiz Tournaments' National Championships in May.
In an inspiring new initiative, USN's health care career spotlight, organized by Ruchika Ramachandran ’27 and Yvonne Wang ’27, brought a wealth of alumni back to the school for an evening of shared expertise and personal stories. This first-of-its-kind event was a great example of the power of connection, mentorship, and community evident throughout the USN community.
Ahead of the All Bands Winter Concert, students got to play for Larry Clark, the composer who arranged the holiday medley that the band will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 9 in Durnan Auditorium.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.