The widely-banned substances dioxin, DDT and PCBs are poisonous organic compounds combining carbon and what halogen found in common salt?

What contemporary of Shakespeare was buried standing up in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey?

What three-syllable name is given to three very different but similar-looking plants associated with kissing?

What painting, popularly considered an insult to rural America, received the bronze medal at a 1930 exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago?

Who were the only two people who were not U.S. Presidents to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Building? 

These questions and dozens of others are typical of those answered by members of 17 teams, including the team from UMass Lowell, at the Regional College Bowl Competition held in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in February. UMass Lowell emerged as the Region 1 (New England) team with the highest score, qualifying UML to compete in the nationals at University of Hartford.

The UMass Lowell team consists of team captain Damon Orsi, a senior majoring in psychology and history; Ryan Beaven, a sophomore majoring in computer science and math; Martin Gray, a senior majoring in Sound Recording Technology, and Olivia Richard, a senior majoring in psychology. These four became a team when they accumulated the highest individual scores at the campus College Bowl competition in November.

Orsi, like many students, had no idea what a College Bowl game was when he first heard about the annual campus competition during his sophomore year. He was unenthusiastic (“I didn’t want to go bowling,” he explained.) until his parents explained the game.  Now president of the College Bowl club on campus, Orsi has been busy between competitions, passing on that explanation and his own enthusiasm for the game to other potential players. College Bowl games were very popular during the 1950s, when they were aired nationally on radio, and in the 1960s, when they were broadcast in a weekly television program.

“The game is tough and challenging,” says Orsi. “The questions can cover anything imaginable, including sports, science, literature, history, art or pop culture. It’s surprisingly competitive, especially if you get a couple of questions right – then you’re really reeled in by it.”

The game pits two four-person teams against each other. A moderator asks questions on wide-ranging topics. The team to signal first and answer correctly earns the points attributed to that question.

After their campus win in the fall, the team built up College Bowl skills by playing several times a week against faculty teams. Regulars included Prof. Mary Kramer, English; Jason Kramer, library systems office, the team’s assistant coach; Profs. Melissa and Stephen Pennell from English and math, respectively; librarian Paul Nutter; Asst. Prof. Christopher Carlsmith, istory; Mary Connelly, director of Student Activites; Prof. Partha Chowdhury, physics; and Asst. Prof. Marie Frank, cultural studies, who serves as the team’s coach and faculty advisor. Kristen Rhyner, Honors Program, serve as administrative advisor to the team.

The UML team is preparing for stiff competition in the nationals. “You can’t really study for this,” Orsi explains. Team Coach Marie Frank, however, has promised to pyut the team through “art boot camp,” so they can improve their scores on questions about fine arts. 

Practice games between faculty and students are usually held at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays in McGauvran 334. If you are interested in attending to cheer on your favorite team, confirm the location with Marie Frank at ext. 3482.

Answers to the sample questions above, in the order they were asked: chlorine, Ben Jonson; mistletoe; Grant Wood’s “American Gothic”; Pierre L'Enfant, who designed the street plan for the city of Washington, D.C., and Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger in December 1955 sparked the civil rights movement.