Seasoned Schools Participate in Battle of the Brains!
2006 PUBLIC LIBRARY QUIZ BOWL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS
Public Library Quiz Bowl Finalists Compete-Live-Saturday, April 22, At 1 PM, on UNC-TV!

It's time once again for the championship finals for one of the most exciting games on television.the 2006 Public Library Quiz Bowl State Championship! This year's competition, supported by the State Library of North Carolina (Department of Cultural Resources) and with partial funding from the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association, takes place live on UNC-TV Saturday, April 22, at 1 PM.

For the 26_th year, finalists from district competitions across the state will face off on the facts as they vie for the championship title in this thrilling fight to the finish-relying on intelligence, quick recall and teamwork. After an absence of several years, George Luke returns as moderator for this two-hour mental workout, while UNC-TV's Deborah Holt serves as host. The broadcast also features illuminating profiles of each participating team and school.

The majority of this year's finalists are seasoned competitors in the championship matches, with only Winterville's South Central High School and Louisburg High School making debut appearances this year. Three schools return from last year: Currituck County High School in Barco, J.T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington and Northwood High School in Pittsboro. Currituck leads the entire pack with four appearances since 1999, followed by Hoggard and Freedom High School with three appearances each. Northwood, Weddington High School in Matthews and Brevard High School round out the group with two appearances each since 1999.

Competing teams include:

• Brevard High School-Brevard
  Coach: Jane Fuller; Sponsoring Library: Transylvania County Library
• Freedom High School-Morganton
  Coach: Dr. L.B. Smith; Sponsoring Library: Burke County Public Library
• Weddington High School-Matthews
  Coach: Scotti Youngman; Sponsoring Library: Union County Public Library
• Northwood High School-Pittsboro
  Coach: Bhuvana Ramachandran, Nick Winstead; Sponsoring Library: Central NC Regional Lib.
• J.T. Hoggard High School-Wilmington
  Coach: Alicia M. Lewis; Sponsoring Library: New Hanover County Library
• South Central High School-Winterville
  Coach: Alan Pierce; Sponsoring Library: Sheppard Memorial Library
• Louisburg High School-Louisburg
  Coaches: Marcy McDonald, Heather Sorby-Firth; Sponsoring Library: Franklin County Public Library
• Currituck County High School-Barco
  Coaches: Mary Simmons & Sylvia Kirk; Sponsoring Library: East Albemarle Regional Library System

The Public Library Quiz Bowl began in 1978-79 when a group of libraries in southeastern North Carolina started sponsoring local high school competitions, the winners of which then faced off in a multi-county championship. In 1980 the State Library of North Carolina joined public libraries from across the state in sponsoring competitions at the local, district and state levels.

The program provides public libraries opportunities to work with local high schools. Questions from eight subject areas-from art to math and science, religion and philosophy to the social sciences-encourage solid knowledge in all subject areas. The format provides for both individual and team efforts. During an initial 10-point round, questions are directed to each individual team member in turn. During 20- and 30-point rounds, questions are directed to the team and individuals may consult before answering. As teams do not "buzz in," they earn points for intelligence and poise, not good reflexes.

The 2006 Public Library Quiz Bowl State Championship rewards knowledge, but it is not an academic program. While many questions are drawn from the high school curriculum, others require knowledge of current events, popular culture and other non-curriculum related areas. While many quiz-type programs are available to students, the 2006 Public Library Quiz Bowl State Championship is unique in its origins, focus and execution. How well can you match wits with our state's top teens? Find out-live from the UNC-TV studio-Saturday, April 22, at 1 PM!