Last Friday was a milestone for the LSESU University Challenge try-outs, hosted in collaboration with LSESU’s Quiz Club at the 6th Floor of Saw Swee Hock. The first round saw increased participation and strong results for many teams. This brings renewed hope of success for LSE at the well-known TV Quiz Competition, after years of poor performance.
Turnout on Friday night was around 55 people, a sharp increase from previous years, this was a source of great satisfaction for those involved in the organisation as well as the participants. Josh Freeman, who was in charge of the event alongside Sam Anderson said that: “It was great to have such a good turnout this year and have so many high-scoring teams”.
In previous years, LSE has seen bad results, finding it very difficult to even qualify to the TV Show. University Challenge first aired in 1962 and is watched by quiz lovers all around the UK. LSE has never won the challenge, with the last qualification into the show being in 2014 when the team could not get into the second round. A quiz enthusiast who follows the show, has pointed out that “LSE being a social sciences University, our average student is not as artistically inclined as in other universities, thus finding strong people in areas such as the Arts can prove difficult”. This year may be LSE’s strongest in some time, “I’m very optimistic that LSE may make its way onto the show this year, and who knows, we may have our own Monkman”, Josh Freeman added, referencing famed competitor of the show, from Cambridge University, Eric Monkman.
This first round was won by the team “Trivia Newton John”, with all high scoring teams being considered for the next round of the try-outs. The scores were very close, with only three points separating the five highest scoring teams, this may indicate that in the future LSE’s participation in the challenge could be something to be very proud of. Haydon Etherington, President of the Quiz Club, has thanked Activities and Development Officer Megan Beddoe and Education Officer Esohe Uwadiae: “I’d like to thank Megan and Esohe for the fantastic work and enthusiasm they put into organising the quiz; it was certainly reflected in the turnout and end result”.
With a room full of buzzing and excited discussion, participants racked their brains to pick the right answer. The event was considered a success, with the organisation running smoothly, and participants enjoying what they feel is a step in the right direction.
