By Mickey Redlingshafer

According to multiple members of the science quiz bowl team, including junior Anna Woolery, much of the team’s success and enjoyment should be attributed to their moderator, science teacher Mary Montag.

“The moderator is my favorite part [about quiz bowl],” Woolery said. “Students couldn’t ask for a move dedicated, fun leader.”

Woolery explains Montag makes the practices every Monday fun and helpful.

“Ms. Montag quickly asks questions to keep our practices efficient and fun,” Woolery said. “The students are constantly learning and laughing.”

Junior Elaine Schmidt agrees that Montag is always making the girls laugh and surprising them with treats during practice.

“A lot of the time she will bring like cookies for us,” Schmidt said. “Like she always does that or I’ll walk in the room and she will be like ‘Elaine I haven’t seen you in so long!’ and give me a big hug. And I’ll be like ‘Ms Montag I saw you this morning!’ She always says and does funny, sweet things like that.”

According to Montag, although the team only has two competitions a year, it is essential there is an open practice once a week for the competitors.

“Practice started the second or third week of [first semester],” Montag said. “It entails a variety of things, mostly rapid fire questions. And that is the more quick assertiveness I want [the team] to develop.”

Montag added that although it sounds serious these practices are laid back.

“[For practices] I try to do visuals a lot, like graphs or Powerpoints,” Montag said. “[The practices] are never intense study. We always end with the same question — what is the color of a yak’s milk? Pink! It’s just something silly we always do.”

Woolery thinks their fun practices help the team.

“The atmosphere is definitely laxed,” Woolery said. “This is helpful because all team members can answer without fear. After one of the first practices I attended, I remember going home and informing my mom that a yak’s milk was pink. These kinds of small, but memorable facts have become science quiz bowl’s inside jokes.”

Sophomore Frankie Neunuebel agrees the relaxed feel of the team is helpful.

“In clubs it’s usually kinda formal and with quiz bowl it’s [different],” Neunuebel said. “The lack of pressure helps us.”

At competitions the team is scored on choosing the correct answer quickly. At their most recent competition, the Avila University Science and Math Challenge for Young Women, the team came in third place. Eight girls were sent to compete in six different categories.

“We got first in the Computer Technology [category] and second in Earth and Space Sciences,” Montag said. “We must have done well in other [categories] too because we won third place overall.”

Montag believes that the team’s good attitude is the reason they are successful.

“[Our success] really is always based on the mix of the kids,” Montag said. “And I always tell them the only thing we have in common is that we all love science. [It is helpful that] we meet every single week. [We are successful because] our relaxed attitude, we love [science] and we have fun.”

Woolery and many other quiz bowl participants agree that their moderator, Montag, makes quiz bowl a fun learning experience, and provides lots of help to students weather quiz bowl related or not.

“[Montag] has given me invaluable advice about class schedules, dealing with teachers, and much more,” Woolery said. “She has always been supportive and it obvious that she truly loves and cares about her students.”

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