Emily Pike is both NAQT’s Vice President of Operations and a practicing doctor, yet performs no major surgery.

How did you get involved with quiz bowl?

I started playing when I was in 7th grade. The activity was completely new to our town, but I had seen academic competitions on TV and thought answering questions like that would be fun. When I heard the announcement for the introductory meeting for the team, I was really excited. We only played a couple of matches that year (including one on a buzzer system that the other school had built using doorbells), but we did well and had a ton of fun. I was hooked…but I never thought I’d still be involved in quiz bowl almost 30 years later!

Did they all have the same ring?

Yes, like someone’s wannabe-engineer older sibling went to the hardware store and Radio Shack for supplies and built one. It did not lock out, and all the bells had the same sound. It was…not ideal.

How did you get involved with NAQT?

I was a player at Carleton College during the time that NAQT was getting started. My coach, Eric Hillemann, was part of NAQT in its early years, and I knew that I wanted to be involved after I was done playing. Shortly after the 1999 Intercollegiate Championship Tournament, I submitted an application to become a writer and was immensely pleased to have been selected. I started medical school at Loyola in Chicago that summer and somehow found time to write a bunch and even take on editing tasks that year. The members of NAQT liked my work and my dedication and invited me to become a member in 2000.

What was the first HSNCT you had a hand in?

The first HSNCT I attended was in 2001, I believe. Well, that HSNCT featured a whopping 40 teams. We’ve done just a bit of growing since then; I remember conversations with other members to the effect of “I can’t believe we pulled off a 64-team tournament! We’d be absolutely crazy to go any bigger.”

And we’re all anticipating 352 this year?

Eagerly anticipating! And absolutely confident that we can pull it off.

Speaking of eager, what is your favorite part of the HSNCT every year?

Seeing the sheer number of kids who are passionate about quiz bowl is my favorite part. It’s a niche where it’s safe and cool to be smart.

I don’t actually get to watch any games at the HSNCT since my role as VP of Operations for NAQT keeps me behind the scenes, but I enjoy hearing stories of amazing buzzes and fantastic teamwork from moderators.

What do you wish players and coaches knew about the HSNCT?

I actually get a fair amount of interaction with coaches at the HSNCT and our other national championships because I help run our Information Desk. I’d love for players and coaches to all take photos with their phones of the Time and Place Guide that’s in the folder so that even if the folder gets lost or is with other team members, they can still access that information. [Editor’s note: The information from the Time and Place Guide is also available on the tournament’s web page, e.g. this page for the 2018 HSNCT. Bookmark it!]

Also, when we say that buzzers won’t be available until a certain time, we really do mean that. Logistics for an event as large as the HSNCT mean that we really do need to follow the procedures we’ve set out unless there’s an emergency.

And if there’s an emergency, I’m your gal! I mean a true emergency, like someone’s having trouble breathing or something’s on fire.

Are there any funny behind-the-scenes stories you could share?

Well, there was this one time when this woman showed us all how to properly fold T-shirts….

Editor’s note: It was Joyce Sun, NAQT media guru and conductor of this interview.

If you weren’t running the Information Desk, what would you be doing at HSNCT?

I’d probably be helping in the main control room—not many people are willing to do the behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make sure a huge event runs smoothly. It’s just so much more exciting to see the games first-hand, but, sadly, my voice doesn’t hold up well for moderating any more.

I don’t do much writing any more. As our business has grown, I’ve had to spend my NAQT time almost entirely on tasks other than question production.

Where do you see HSNCT (figuratively or physically) in 5, 10, and even 20 years?

In the next five years, I am hopeful that we’ll see more diversity within the HSNCT field. Gender balance has definitely improved in recent years, but we’re a long way from parity.

What advice do you have for the community at large?

I would encourage veteran players to be as welcoming as possible to new participants. Take the time to chat with your opponents if there’s downtime between matches. Make the effort to put a face to that screen name you’ve seen online. Invite another team to sit with you at lunchtime. Do what you can to build a community we can all be proud of.