Touched by an Uncle Victorious!

by Sarah MacDonald

Think you're smarter than your professors? Well, if you hadn't showed up to the Professor VS Student Trivia Game then you missed your chance to show it. The event was attended by all walks of the campus life. As some teachers strolled in wearing customized "The Triviators" t-shirts, it was clear - this was a serious matter.

With Joe Velaidum hired as the Director for Student Engagement this academic year, more activities have been occurring on campus. The trivia game held Friday, January 16th was one of Joe's pet projects with his new role. Velaidum, with help from the UPEI Student Union, organized a very elaborate night for students and professors alike. The grand prize for the winning team? An iPod touch for every member!

So, with stakes so high, there had to be rules. Cell phones were completely banned and put in metal buckets to block incoming data. There was a strict set number of four team members (forcing one team to have a "coach" who stood idley by). Even bathroom breaks were not tolerated during actual trivia rounds. This was serious stuff! Many teams trained before they headed over the The Wave. "I spent most of the day doing ... trivia online. Oh, and I ate a granola bar," said winning-team member, Matthew Morrison.

The final outcome was a win by a student team. However, the race was a close one. A professor team (seemingly captained by Dr. Shannon Murray) came a hair behind Morrison's team by only a half of a point. The runners-up enjoyed such amenities as Alexander Keith's glasses that lit up, and other beer paraphernalia. When asked about a student team winning, Morrison replied, "It sets the bar for next year. It shows that students have a chance to beat their professors."

The night did not go on without controversy. Many students thought the music was too dated, while the professors weren't fans of it either. Perhaps they simply forgot the tunes in their old age? Besides, there were a few academic disclaimers that the hosts were not used to. Whether or not Gilgamesh was an English epic (when it was translated into English) was a prevalent issue. But, perhaps the biggest dispute of the night was how many points should be accrued if your team knows the names of all four Teletubbies.

As most of you wait on baited breath to hear the secrets of how Morrison's team won, he responded, "We answered more trivia questions right then [sic] the other teams."