43rd world’s largest trivia contest returns to UW-Stevens Point
People from Central Wisconsin and across the globe will compete for 54 hours in the 43rd year of the world’s largest trivia contest at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on WWSP 90FM. The contest begins at 6 p.m., Friday, April 20, and runs until midnight, Sunday, April 22.
This year’s theme is “Trivia 43: Trivia Grit.” In light of the recent success of the Cohn Brothers’ adaption of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel of the same name, Trivia coordinator Jim “The Oz” Oliva decided it was time to pay homage to the film and also to its first cowboy, John Wayne.
The annual Trivia Parade begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, featuring floats from many of the registered teams. The parade will start near UW-Stevens Point Lot Q. The first question will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Eight questions are read each hour and teams have the length of two songs to call in their answers. A variety of specialty questions will include a treasure hunt-style series of clues scattered around Stevens Point. Teams with correct answers are given an equal share of the 2000 points each question is worth, with a minimum of 5 points and a maximum of 500 points. Trophies will be given to the top ten teams with the highest point totals.
Registration is $30 per team and must be completed in advance at the 90FM studios, Monday–Thursday, April 16–19 from 3–7 p.m., and Friday, April 20, from noon–6 p.m. All money collected from this event will be used for scholarships and general maintenance of the radio station. See Trivia 42 for complete rules, a listing of teams and registration information.
The Trivia kickoff movie will be shown at midnight on Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, at Rogers Cinema on Church Street in Stevens Point. The Trivia movie will also be shown at 10:30 a.m. that Saturday. Admission is $3. The title of this year’s Trivia movie will be announced at the first midnight show.
For the seventh year in a row 90FM has teamed up with the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation to power the contest using “green powered” electricity.
Trivia began in 1969 with 16 teams and was first broadcast on 90FM the following year. A documentary, “Triviatown,” was filmed during the 2004 trivia weekend, debuted in 2006 and won Best Film at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison and Best Documentary at the Westchester (New York) Film Festival.
90FM WWSP is the not-for-profit, student-run radio station at UW-Stevens Point. One of the largest stations of its kind in the Midwest, it can be found at the FM frequency of 89.9.
Contact: Megan Turbin, promotions director, at 715-346-3755.
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