The sounds of buzzers, the look of minds thinking furiously, and the smell of trivia passion and desperation… Of course, that can only describe iQuiz season! For those of you not fortunate enough to already know, iQuiz is the intramural form of Quizbowl, the academic knowledge team at Ames High School. Founded at AHS four years ago, iQuiz is perfect for anybody who wanted the fun of Quizbowl with perhaps a little less commitment. Each match consists of a total of 12 toss-up questions, where members of both teams have the opportunity to buzz in and answer. An early (correct) answer will earn extra points, also known as a POWER; however an incorrect answer before the the question is finished results in a NEG (-5 points). When a team answers a question correctly, they get a three part, 30 point bonus question on which they can concur. iOuiz operates under the same official ruling as Quizbowl, but because Quizbowl members themselves write the questions, the packets are often a lot more light-hearted. For example, recent toss-ups and bonuses have ranged from Naruto trivia to international soccer players. Every iQuiz battle leaves both the team members and the spectators mentally and physically exhausted, while the winners of each match are instantly elevated to hero status. Senior and player Tommy Pitcher eloquently describes his feelings for iQuiz: “If iQuiz was a woman, she’d be a 10/10, and because of this I place equal value on my iQuiz and tennis state titles.” This year, nine teams signed up to wage trivia warfare with each other, and the third week of the competition has (so far) left team Power FAP and Charlie’s Angels vying for the position of iQuiz Conqueror. At the end of the competition, the team with the highest point total will earn the honor of going head-to-head with the AHS Quizbowl team. The match on that day will be a metaphorical clash of titans, and the gods of trivia will bestow the winners with unmatched trivia powers…or at least bragging rights for the rest of the day.