TRIVIA BOWL 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
Hello, Trivia Bowl players! We’re grateful to have you join us for this year’s unprecedented virtual version of AAJA-Los Angeles signature annual “fun-raising” event.
We hope to keep the fun aspect intact even as we move to the Zoom platform. Fun, in fact, will be the main objective for this year’s competition, as the prized Rice Cup and Grasshopper Cup will not be in competition and will remain in the possession of last year’s winners. But we will present the traditional Spirit Award, so please read below.
Two essential dates: Our event will take place Friday, Oct. 16, starting at 7 p.m. And we seek your team rosters by end of day Friday, Oct. 9 (more below).
The following FAQ offers specifics about the competition and the preparations you will want to take before we all gather. For matters not covered here, please email your questions to both AAJA-LA President Teresa Watanabe (teresa.watanabe@latimes.com) and AAJA-LA board member Henry Fuhrmann (henry.fuhrmann56@gmail.com). For urgent matters, especially on game day, feel free to call or text Henry at (818) 970-2960.
We’ve signed up to play. What’s next?
The most urgent task is to send us your team roster with names and email addresses by end of day Friday, Oct. 9. This will enable us to set up the Zoom authorizations for each of your players. We can accept changes after the 9th, but the more you can share with us by that day, the better. Please email your roster to AAJA-LA board members Samantha Masunaga (samantha.masunaga@latimes.com) and Henry Fuhrmann (henry.fuhrmann56@gmail.com).
Besides the roster, what else do you need from us?
For display during team introductions, we encourage you to send us your organization or team logo, a group photo or collage, an illustration showing your team’s name or whatever you would like us to show on your behalf. Please try to get this material to us with your roster by Friday, Oct. 9. You can upload your image here. If you have questions, please email Julie Patel of the AAJA-LA board at julievpatel@gmail.com.
Can you tell us more about how Zoom will work?
As we mentioned in our original invitation, we’ll be competing using the Zoom platform. We will send all registered players the main Zoom URL on game day, Friday, Oct. 16.
We encourage everyone to sign in a little early, around 6:45 or 6:50, so that you can be sure you are connected and so that we can start assigning you individually to your team’s Zoom breakout room. A breakroom room will be assigned to each team so that you can gather privately to brainstorm your answers and fill out your answer sheet.
Can you tell us more about the timetable on game day?
Here is the planned order of events, subject to slight revisions:
–Before 7:00 p.m.: All competitors should sign into Zoom.
–7:00: Emcee David Ono will start the formal proceedings with welcoming remarks, a video presentation on AAJA-LA’s year in review, team introductions and a review of other game details.
–7:20 (approximately): Let the games begin!
How long will the event last?
This is our first time conducting a Trivia Bowl remotely. We hope to be finished by about 8:30.
How many questions will there be?
Quizmasters Lynn Yu and Chris O’Brien are still at work, but we expect four quick rounds of eight questions as follows: (1) Current Events, (2) Pop Culture, (3) Sports, Food, Technology, (4) Internet Culture.
Emcee David Ono will read aloud each question to the entire Zoom audience. Members of your team will then be dispatched to your breakout room, and you will have eight minutes to fill out your team’s scorecard. It will go quickly!
Besides bragging rights and team pride, will there be any rewards?
Yes! In lieu of the Rice Cup and Grasshopper Cup, we will be awarding Asian-themed goodie boxes to the overall team and college team winners. We will also award raffle prizes between rounds, randomly drawing names.
What about the Spirit Award? Is that still a thing?
Yes, contrary to our earlier conflicting signals, this is still a thing. By popular demand, we will, indeed, present the coveted Spirit Award. Trivia Bowl organizers will choose the winning team based on your energy during the competition or you could send us a picture of your team in your breakout room or your clever virtual Zoom backgrounds, or your cool and creative costumes or T-shirts or other team garb. We’ll welcome anything that tells us that you are excited to be part of the event. Please email your photos to aajalalosangeles@gmail.com.
We have more than 10 players. Is that OK?
Yes, that’s more than OK. You probably won’t want 20 players, as your Zoom breakout room might get too cacophonous and crowded. But going to a dozen or so won’t be a problem as long as you submit your names and emails ahead of time. (See above.)
We are having trouble finding 10 players. Now what?
That’s OK too. There are always individuals who have no team to compete with. If you seek help filling out your roster, please email AAJA-LA board member Henry Fuhrmann as soon as possible at henry.fuhrmann56@gmail.com. He can help connect you.
We’re a college team. Who can we recruit?
First, your English professor would admonish you to say whom, not who 🙂 But we’ve never had strict rules about that. College teams typically have a faculty adviser join the competition. If you want to add recent alumni or other friends or faculty, we’re fine with that.
Do the old Trivia Bowl rules apply here?
In a pre-pandemic world, Trivia Bowl organizers strictly enforced a long list of rules with the most important being a prohibition on the use of electronic devices. With a virtual event, we can’t enforce such rules. But with low-stakes, no-pressure fun being the objective, we do encourage you to rely on your brains, not your devices. Our quizmaster Lynn Yu puts it this way: This is not a contest to see who is the best at Googling stuff. The game is to see how much you know (or can guess) off the top of your head.
AAJA-LA is not raising funds this year. How else can we contribute?
Because of the pandemic, AAJA-LA has reconfigured the event as a community gathering, not our usual fundraiser. We are delighted to have you participate as our guests, free of charge. The event is our way of thanking you for your friendship and past support.
At least one team this year plans to collect money from its players to donate to a charitable cause. We endorse that! And if you decide to do something along those lines, please let Teresa Watanabe or Henry Fuhrmann know. Your generous public spirit could help you score points toward the Spirit Award.