Sam Blizzard is a student at the University of Cincinnati. He played for Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio, which he led to a thirteenth-place finish in 2015, and was the leading scorer at the 2013, 2014, and 2015 HSNCTs.

How did you get involved with quiz bowl?

I got involved with quiz bowl the summer before seventh grade. I had a family friend who was running the middle school quiz bowl program, and after hearing about it from a couple friends, I decided to attend a few practices. I was hooked immediately and went to my first tournament in fall of seventh grade. I stayed involved for six more years, through the end of my senior year of high school.

What are your favorite memories of quiz bowl?

Some favorite memories are the long car rides to tournaments with my teammates (by the time I graduated I think I had played quiz bowl in 14 states, driving all but once) and all the weird and fun conversations that arose then, getting to know so many awesome competitors and friends from other schools and states, and of course the thrill of certain buzzes and games that make it all worthwhile.

How did you first hear about NAQT?

I first heard about NAQT through practices my first year. My first practices were on old NAQT sets; I distinctly remember that the concept of a power didn’t make any sense to me and I had to have my coach show me a question written on the page for me to finally understand. From then on, the first NAQT tournament I played in was the 2010 HSNCT; I only played in two games but I remember getting one tossup on Theseus!

What do you remember about your HSNCT experiences?

I attended six HSNCTs, from 2010 to 2015. These results ranged from not making the playoffs to ending up tied for 21st and 13th in the nation in my last two years. I remember the car rides to Chicago and Atlanta being frantic study sessions where I would try to have as many tabs open on my iPod Touch as possible (I didn’t have a smart phone until my senior year!) so I could read Wikipedia pages and old question packets without internet access alongside written notes, poetry anthologies, and physical packets. HSNCTs were always awe-inspiring in terms of the sheer number of people involved and it was an incredible experience to be surrounded by so many other people who have passions for the same thing as me.

Who was your fiercest opponent as a player?

In terms of individual competitors, I think I would say Nirav Ilango from Chattahoochee. We were the same year and had very similar specialties and playing styles, so whenever we competed it was always very intense and the most competitive games I remember. In terms of teams, definitely LASA, mainly because they were so dang hard to beat, and because they were some of my closest friends, which made me want to beat them even more!

What were your favorite categories as a player?

My preferred subjects were mainly literature, history, and geography. I hated science questions, which is very ironic because I’m now a double science major in college and planning a career in science! I think I appreciated quiz bowl so much because its wide range of topics allowed me to be exposed to things you never get to learn about in the high school curriculum. Although I very much enjoy science now, quiz bowl really made me a more well-rounded person in terms of knowledge and interests, which has pushed me to be someone who keeps up with the world outside of college and classwork.

Back in your playing days what did you think HSNCT would be like now?

I haven’t been to an HSNCT in three years, but I always pictured it as this gigantic, ever-expanding tournament that adds more and more newly-formed teams each year. NAQT does a great job of drawing in new teams and players to HSNCT and showing how rewarding and exhilarating quiz bowl can be, and I hope they can continue doing so each year.

Have a favorite buzz? Favorite protest?

Oh gosh! I know there are some buzzes I really enjoyed (a lot of them about pop music!), but I’m drawing a blank on specifics right now. My favorite author is Jhumpa Lahiri, so whenever there were questions on her or her work, I loved it. Probably my favorite moments was at the 2015 HSNCT when we were playing LASA. Both teams were 7–1 at the time, and up until then I had never beaten Corin, Ethan, Forrest, and Alex yet. We were down 85 points with two questions left, and we ended up powering both tossups and getting 30s on the bonuses in order to win by 5 points. I loved how both teams were so intent and focused on the game, but also it was immensely fun to play alongside some close friends from across the country.

What has life been like since your HSNCT participation?

Since my last HSNCT in 2015, I have unfortunately not kept up with quiz bowl. The University of Cincinnati does not have a team set up, and due to classes and work and other commitments, I haven’t been able to stay involved.

I do miss quiz bowl, and the competition and people that came with it; I even will pull up packets and read through them if I have a free half hour and I’m reminded how much I loved it. Hopefully I can find time to volunteer at some tournaments or the HSNCT in the future!

How do you see HSNCT evolving in the next five, ten, or twenty years?

It’s hard to say how HSNCT might change over the next few years because it’s already so well run and provides so much for students, parents, and coaches alike, but I think I’d like to see continued evaluation of questions styles and topics to be the best they can be, as well as possibly adding side events or other opportunities for entertainment or learning outside of individual matches!

Any advice to share with players and/or coaches?

My favorite advice I’ve ever received, and one I always like to share is to simply be weird. Explore your favorite topics, however odd they may seem to others. Learn about the things you care about and do it because you enjoy it and not to conform to others’ expectations. Keeping that sense of wonder and enthusiasm for the world around you is how you’ll be motivated to keep on learning and exploring, and plus life is just more fun that way. Also, make friends! Quiz bowl, and the HSNCT in particular, is a prime opportunity to connect to others around the country with similar passions and interests, so definitely take advantage of the environment and have a blast!

What do you wish you knew in your playing days that you know now?

I wish I knew that I should have studied science more! More seriously, I wish I knew earlier on how being involved with quiz bowl would shape who I am as a person. Quiz bowl made me a more confident, extroverted, and enthusiastic person, and had an incredible influence on exposing me to issues and causes that I care deeply about. I’m thankful quiz bowl was a part of my life during some of the most formative years of adolescence because I am 200% confident I am a better person because of my involvement.