From the Stevens Point Journal April 10, 2008:

Teenager team rises to challenge of WWSP's trivia contest

Watch out, older generation of trivia players -- there's a new generation right behind you.

For years, local teenagers have seen their parents and other adults lock themselves up for Trivia Weekend -- and having a blast.

Now they want in on the fun.

"We thought it was about time we put a team together to go for it," said Dominique Hunter, 17, a junior at Stevens Point Area Senior High. "And whatever happens, happens."

They'll have a chance to see what happens when the 39th annual trivia contest, themed "Trivia Invasion," begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues through midnight Sunday.

Some young people have been on teams with family members, but joining together has given them the opportunity to see if they can organize and manage a team of their peers.

"It's a challenge," said Alex Bartlett, 17, and a member of Hunter's team. "You want to have a team of people who know about different types of things. I mean, it's a trivia contest."

And even though the students may not have as much first-hand knowledge as the older trivia players, they don't feel they're at a disadvantage.

"I think we're at a bigger advantage because we have so many computer and Internet adept people," said Dylan Flick, 17, another member of Hunter's team. "We're a new generation going up against seasoned warriors."

Although these students didn't have a practice run to get their minds ready for the long weekend, they did have regular meetings to learn random facts and form a strategy to do the best they can.

"No energy drinks," Hunter said. "They'll make you crash and burn after one hour."

After seeing the trivia film "Special," looking for potential questions, Hunter and Flick called talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and invited her to Stevens Point to experience this event like no other. They haven't heard back, but that won't distract them from their goal: to answer as many questions correctly as possible.

"We do what works," Hunter said. "We're just not really sure it will work."

Ivy Farguheson can be reached at 715-345-2249 or
ifarguhe@gannett.com.