Trivia Night with OLLI at TTU, Lubbock

By Tina Crowson, OLLI at TTU, Lubbock, Coordinator

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Texas Tech University, Lubbock had its first-ever "Trivia Night" event to kick off the spring 2020 semester. OLLI Director, Shelby Crews, began planning for this night many months in advance as she – as always – was looking for a way for folks to have fun and participate with like-minded community members as they learn new things. She worked with a small and enthusiastic group of volunteers to set up the venue, food and beverages, and – of course – the expertly designed trivia questions and answers. Shelby and the volunteers also secured all the prizes to be given away as door prizes and to the trivia champions. On Jan. 23 at the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center on the Texas Tech campus, nearly 100 curious and courageous OLLI members and non-members gathered for this new experience.

As OLLI staff began to take reservations for the event in early January, they fielded a lot of questions. Some people asked us if they could just watch because they weren't so sure about competing. Other folks felt that they did not know enough other people to form a team, so they asked if they could be placed on a team. Then some just wanted to know when and where to show up because they knew their team was up for the task.

As registered participants began arriving, those who thought they only wanted to watch were encouraged to answer right along with everyone else "just to see;" they joyfully discovered that they are more brilliant than they had assumed. Those who were placed on a team with "strangers" soon discovered they were among friends. And those who were quite confident that their team was a formidable one were not disappointed.

Each table had a clear box where all participants were required to place their cell phones during the competition, so that no one could phone a friend or Google an answer. Every team was given pre-printed scorecards to record the team's responses for all 10 questions in each of the Arts and Literature, Sports and Leisure, Pop Culture, Math and Science, History and Geography, and Dead or Alive categories.

OLLI Advisory Board member Jeff Klotzman emceed the event, asking questions from each of the categories which also appeared on three large screens throughout the room. After he asked each question, a chosen member from each team would very carefully and very legibly write down the team answer. After the allotted time for each category, other OLLI volunteers would then gather the cards from each team and deliver them to the judges' table. Each of the four judges took great care as they scored each card and tallied the answers. At the end of the event, first, second and third place awards were given to every member of the winning teams.

Although they may not have been exactly sure what they were getting into with this new kind of OLLI event, everyone in attendance said that, for so many reasons, the experience was better than they imagined it would be! OLLI at TTU, Lubbock is looking forward to having more "Trivia Night" events and hopes to see you there!