At the start of the fifth annual Academic Bowl, the feeling among the student body was that of anticipation, and the reigning champion Maroon team was a heavy favorite to retain the cup. Opening the event, host Alex “Trebek” Shuman showed an amusing music video to get the IMS community fired up.  Following Mr. Shuman’s video, the teams burst into the auditorium hungry for battle.

 

The Academic Bowl consisted of three rounds of trivia questions on topics ranging from popular culture to biology, from stumpers such as “what state ends with the letter K?” to “Who is older, Mr. Doria or Mr. Anselmi?”

 

In the opening round the Gray team jumped out on top, stunning the Maroon squad by taking the early lead. As Gray’s successes mounted through the second round, the gap widened and the look of desperation swept over the faces of the
Maroon team.

 

Going into the third and final round, the feeling in the assembly hall was hopeful for a long overdue Gray victory. Head-to-head questions, played Family Feud style, were all that stood between the two teams and the cup. In the end, momentum proved too powerful for the Maroon squad to overcome, as Gray seized victory for the second time in Academic Bowl history.