Buzzers going off, students shouting out answers of subjects they specialize in, competitive spirit brims throughout the room. Quiz bowl is a club at Bonita Vista High where two teams compete head to head being quizzed on various subjects ranging from history to fine arts. Recently, Forensics and Biology teacher Joseph Szakovits has stepped down from his position as Quiz Bowl Advisor after 7 years.
“It was one of those situations where I decided not to do it [anymore] and last year would be my final year. At the end of the year, I had decided to step away from it but it wasn’t clear at that time who would be taking [over],” Szakovits said.
In the month of May, Szakovits officially announced to his students that he had stepped down from the position. The role was later given to World Geography teacher Cody Betts after he had been asked by Szakovits to fulfill his position.
“Mr. Szakovits, after many years of [being the advisor], decided to take a break so that he could pursue other interests and responsibilities and asked me to step in [as the new] advisor. I’ve always enjoyed the pursuit of knowledge [and] there was a need [for a Quiz Bowl Advisor] which I thought sounded fun so I said why not,” Betts said.
Betts takes pride in his desire for knowledge and what this new opportunity could mean for him. Becoming the advisor for Quiz Bowl after Szakovits, benefits him with the knowledge and joyous competitive edge Quiz Bowl has to offer.
“The season doesn’t start until next semester, but Betts is already running practices. I’ve handed him over all of the materials. He has taken the reins and they’ve chosen officers for the club so it’s already up and running and in [his] hands,” Szakovits said.
Betts is already adjusting to being in full control of Quiz Bowl and the club is slowly adapting itself to its new advisor. Taking this competition to heart, Betts is currently attempting to build up a Junior Varsity (JV) team for underclassmen to participate in. It is apparent that even with this brand new position, he is dedicated and just as determined as anyone else to grasp higher levels within the club and reach new heights of accomplishments. Betts also hopes to promote the club as an accepting community of students who want to have some competitive fun.
“We’re definitely trying out some new stuff now that we have a new advisor. He has sort of different takes on how we might practice differently, but they’re all very appreciated. It is nice to mix it up and see if different things will work out for us this season and kind of adjust as we move on,” Quiz Bowl president Victoria Arancibia said.
Both Betts and Arancibia can see how this new change may affect the Quiz Bowl dynamic, but they welcome it. It is safe to say that both Betts and the entirety of the Quiz Bowl team see eye to eye and make sure to maintain a friendly, accepting community for attendees, officers and advisors.
“I feel pretty good about it. I’m enjoying [the experience], I find it fun and both challenging and rewarding. [However] there’s a bit of a learning curve that I’m still going through to figure out what being Quiz Bowl Advisor entails,” Betts said.
Betts finds the challenge of such a different club atmosphere to be something worth noting, specifically the learning curve at the beginning. However, he does enjoy the rewarding aspect after certain challenges. Working with his students in this club also gives a sense of enjoyment when working with the Quiz Bowl environment.Arancibia states their thoughts on the switch between the teachers being advisors for Quiz Bowl.
“I’m excited to work with Betts this year [for Quiz Bowl]. He gives us new perspectives and some helpful ideas to help us move forward this season. I’m feeling good about this shift, and although we miss Szakovits, I know that Betts will be a good advisor for this season,” Arancibia said.
With these new changes it leads to new opportunities for the team., Speaking abBetts is able to introduce new ideas and show the club new horizons after being taught by the same advisor for seven years. Even if this is a bittersweet experience, Arancibia is determined to adapt to the change of advisors and push forward in order to go even further with the Quiz Bowl club.
“[I hope] for students to enjoy it [the club], to feel that they got a lot of positives out of it. If there was one thing I would wish for in the new group, it’s that [Quiz Bowl] still has the sense of community that it did while I was still there and I hope it carries on,” Szakovits said.
