Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Prakash on the 10th Offliner
Before I set out with the setting of the questions I re-looked at the stated objectives of The Bangalore Quiz Group. They are:
1. Actively promoting quizzing amongst non quizzers (we are trying very hard inthis regard, aren't we?)
2. Changing the negative perception towards quizzing in those who may have had repeated setbacks in competitive quizzing (Don't know about this, though. Are we? Maybe we are……..on second thoughts).
3. Making quizzing both informative and entertaining (I think BQG scores quite high here, doesn't it?)
It was objective # 3 that caught my eye. "Making quizzing both informative and entertaining."
I decided, then and there, to try and make the 10th Offline quiz of BQG as informative and entertaining as I could.
The start was by throwing out the old (thoughts and concepts) and by bringing in the new.
The 10th Offline Meet was completely different from any quiz that we have had in the past. For one thing there were no visuals at all! The quiz almost completely consisted of so called "dry questions" and audio tracks.
The rules of the quiz were also completely different. Each question started with a simple question (a.k.a. a "sitter").
Examples of sitters? The first question of the quiz was, for example, "The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an annual meeting among chief executives of the world's richest corporations, some national political leaders (presidents, prime ministers and others), and selected intellectuals and journalists, about 2000 people in all. It is usually held in?" If the team answered it correct they got 300 points. Then a tougher question on the same subject was offered to them. The points increased. For example, the next question was "On what basis are
companies selected to attend the Davos meet? (1000 points). If the team answered this also correctly they got an even tougher question"It was founded in ------ (year) by -------- Name either." (1000 + 1000 points). If at any point they fumbled the answer, the question passed to the next team.
Would you believe it that one or two "sitters" couldn't be answered by most the teams present? An example was a song track from the famous "Sangam" movie. It wasunbelievable and just goes to tell us that we need to "pull up our socks" in a manner of speaking. We are forgetting as we learn. Bonus questions carrying huge points were thrown in at regular intervals. For example, the question "He was a legendary musician of the Jaipur Atrauli gharana. He did not possess a regal bearing. He did not clothe himself in princely robes. He did not care to be the centre of attraction. He continued to look like a shopkeeper's assistant. He did not speak like an Oracle. He rarely referred to his triumphs. Those who met him marveled at his combination of eminence and humility. His autobiography is a mere 85 pages but, like his music, it conveys profundity. This stalwart passed away recently. Identify him."
Carried 2000 points!
The net result was an almost roller coaster ride on the infotainmenthighway where a team would be up points-wise one moment and down the next.
Team # 5 (Sunil and colleagues) were, at one point trailing. They suddenly came up very rapidly and closed the gap through a series of brilliant answers and ultimately scored very close to the winning team. How close the contest was is reflected in the final scores:
Winning team: 7500 points
Team # 2: 6700 points
Team # 3: 6100 points
Considering the fact that most questions, if answered correctly, yielded 500 points on average – this was a photo finish!
When this happens……………when there is a tremendous volatility in the scores……….when a hastily uttered wrong answer can spell the difference between victory and failure, the tension starts mounting.
And so it was at the 10th Offliner. The tension at times was palpable. Quizzing is not always about setting the right question and giving the right answers. It is also about team work, giving careful thought to one's words (rather than blurting out the first thought that came to one's mind). For a 2000 point bonus, one needs to word one's answers very carefully. Many a point was lost between a slightly vague answer". There were no "half-points" given. The logic: you either know it or you don't.
We (Indians) sometimes tend to be individually brilliant but collectively find it difficult to work as a team. In the quizzing arena we tend to defer to our colleagues (Mini sotto voce answered one question right but was over ruled by a team mate who got it wrong! The question passed to the next team who gave the same answer as Mini and scored the points) I'd like to think that the new format gave every one a sense of "Hey! I know something too!" feeling. This (hopefully)
gives rise to greater self worth. Team members (hopefully) realizing this will consult colleagues more closely. I'd like to think that the 10th Offline Meet took a small but definite step in this regard. The quiz was tough. At least that was the way I had designed it. "The more you know, the more you earn, baby" was the underlying credo. But what I have always stood for is the fact that you may know the answers to 2, 3, 4…maybe even 5 questions. The balance answers will be provided by BQG. That means you leave the arena a lot richer in knowledge than when you entered. The quiz master should subordinate himself to the audience.
His (or her) task is to inform as well as entertain; to whip up a frenzy of excitement in the audience. Not to shine in isolation.
Why am I saying all this? Because I feel that this is the way I'd like to have future quizzes conducted at BQG. We need to set guidelines and I am setting those with relation to our recent experiences.
Finally………………. people should leave each Offliner Quiz with a warm glow of "that was great, I enjoyed myself"!
If they left that way after the 10th Offliner, then I have succeeded in my task.
The date/time of the next Offliner will be announced shortly. Goldie will quizmaster it. Venue will be announced. If all else fails, my place is always there! Watch for the announcement, as they say!
Acknowledgements:
-----------------
Thank you, Gururaj, Sukanya and Sandhya for the excellent food and other arrangements!
Anuradha - kept great track of the scores and has proved to be our best scorer ever!
And last but not least: some of the audio rounds would just not have been possible but for the techie info provided by Sudheendraa. Just what info did he provide? Ask him.
Best wishes,
Prakash
PS: Written at 3 am, bleary eyed. E&OE, as they say!
1. Actively promoting quizzing amongst non quizzers (we are trying very hard inthis regard, aren't we?)
2. Changing the negative perception towards quizzing in those who may have had repeated setbacks in competitive quizzing (Don't know about this, though. Are we? Maybe we are……..on second thoughts).
3. Making quizzing both informative and entertaining (I think BQG scores quite high here, doesn't it?)
It was objective # 3 that caught my eye. "Making quizzing both informative and entertaining."
I decided, then and there, to try and make the 10th Offline quiz of BQG as informative and entertaining as I could.
The start was by throwing out the old (thoughts and concepts) and by bringing in the new.
The 10th Offline Meet was completely different from any quiz that we have had in the past. For one thing there were no visuals at all! The quiz almost completely consisted of so called "dry questions" and audio tracks.
The rules of the quiz were also completely different. Each question started with a simple question (a.k.a. a "sitter").
Examples of sitters? The first question of the quiz was, for example, "The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an annual meeting among chief executives of the world's richest corporations, some national political leaders (presidents, prime ministers and others), and selected intellectuals and journalists, about 2000 people in all. It is usually held in?" If the team answered it correct they got 300 points. Then a tougher question on the same subject was offered to them. The points increased. For example, the next question was "On what basis are
companies selected to attend the Davos meet? (1000 points). If the team answered this also correctly they got an even tougher question"It was founded in ------ (year) by -------- Name either." (1000 + 1000 points). If at any point they fumbled the answer, the question passed to the next team.
Would you believe it that one or two "sitters" couldn't be answered by most the teams present? An example was a song track from the famous "Sangam" movie. It wasunbelievable and just goes to tell us that we need to "pull up our socks" in a manner of speaking. We are forgetting as we learn. Bonus questions carrying huge points were thrown in at regular intervals. For example, the question "He was a legendary musician of the Jaipur Atrauli gharana. He did not possess a regal bearing. He did not clothe himself in princely robes. He did not care to be the centre of attraction. He continued to look like a shopkeeper's assistant. He did not speak like an Oracle. He rarely referred to his triumphs. Those who met him marveled at his combination of eminence and humility. His autobiography is a mere 85 pages but, like his music, it conveys profundity. This stalwart passed away recently. Identify him."
Carried 2000 points!
The net result was an almost roller coaster ride on the infotainmenthighway where a team would be up points-wise one moment and down the next.
Team # 5 (Sunil and colleagues) were, at one point trailing. They suddenly came up very rapidly and closed the gap through a series of brilliant answers and ultimately scored very close to the winning team. How close the contest was is reflected in the final scores:
Winning team: 7500 points
Team # 2: 6700 points
Team # 3: 6100 points
Considering the fact that most questions, if answered correctly, yielded 500 points on average – this was a photo finish!
When this happens……………when there is a tremendous volatility in the scores……….when a hastily uttered wrong answer can spell the difference between victory and failure, the tension starts mounting.
And so it was at the 10th Offliner. The tension at times was palpable. Quizzing is not always about setting the right question and giving the right answers. It is also about team work, giving careful thought to one's words (rather than blurting out the first thought that came to one's mind). For a 2000 point bonus, one needs to word one's answers very carefully. Many a point was lost between a slightly vague answer". There were no "half-points" given. The logic: you either know it or you don't.
We (Indians) sometimes tend to be individually brilliant but collectively find it difficult to work as a team. In the quizzing arena we tend to defer to our colleagues (Mini sotto voce answered one question right but was over ruled by a team mate who got it wrong! The question passed to the next team who gave the same answer as Mini and scored the points) I'd like to think that the new format gave every one a sense of "Hey! I know something too!" feeling. This (hopefully)
gives rise to greater self worth. Team members (hopefully) realizing this will consult colleagues more closely. I'd like to think that the 10th Offline Meet took a small but definite step in this regard. The quiz was tough. At least that was the way I had designed it. "The more you know, the more you earn, baby" was the underlying credo. But what I have always stood for is the fact that you may know the answers to 2, 3, 4…maybe even 5 questions. The balance answers will be provided by BQG. That means you leave the arena a lot richer in knowledge than when you entered. The quiz master should subordinate himself to the audience.
His (or her) task is to inform as well as entertain; to whip up a frenzy of excitement in the audience. Not to shine in isolation.
Why am I saying all this? Because I feel that this is the way I'd like to have future quizzes conducted at BQG. We need to set guidelines and I am setting those with relation to our recent experiences.
Finally………………. people should leave each Offliner Quiz with a warm glow of "that was great, I enjoyed myself"!
If they left that way after the 10th Offliner, then I have succeeded in my task.
The date/time of the next Offliner will be announced shortly. Goldie will quizmaster it. Venue will be announced. If all else fails, my place is always there! Watch for the announcement, as they say!
Acknowledgements:
-----------------
Thank you, Gururaj, Sukanya and Sandhya for the excellent food and other arrangements!
Anuradha - kept great track of the scores and has proved to be our best scorer ever!
And last but not least: some of the audio rounds would just not have been possible but for the techie info provided by Sudheendraa. Just what info did he provide? Ask him.
Best wishes,
Prakash
PS: Written at 3 am, bleary eyed. E&OE, as they say!
# posted by THE SEVENTH SENSE @ 11:21 AM 
