As the University celebrates its 100th birthday, the UQ Staff Club recently marked its own centenary milestone.
On Thursday, April 15, the eve of the UQ Centenary, the 101st trivia quiz will be held at the St Lucia campus Staff Club.
To mark the University's Centenary, this month's quiz will include an optional component relating specifically to UQ.
The quiz started in 2001 and is run by Charles McCowie, who retired as the University’s Industrial Relations Manager in 2004.
Mr McCowie said the role of quizmaster had allowed him to make some interesting behavioural observations.
“The ‘I told you so!’ reactions - verbal and non-verbal - when someone with the correct answer is overruled by teammates are always amusing,” Mr McCowie said.
“The speed with which we forget names of headline makers is amazing – for example five to six weeks after the Melbourne Cup, most players cannot recall the name of the winner.
“About two months after Governor-General Michael Jeffery was appointed, three-quarters of the teams could not name him.
“About 6 months later, nearly half the teams still could not name him.”
One team, The Vincibles, composed principally of UQ alumni, will have attended 100 of the 101 quizzes come Thursday.
Mr McCowie said quiz questions were of a “fairly tough” standard, with players hailing from all streams of the UQ community - academic, research, administrative and technical staff, postgraduate students and alumni
Some of the quiz’s not-so-trivial milestones include:
• Almost $30,000 worth of cash and prizes given away
• 4,500 one-point questions
• 1,500 audio questions
• About 300 “ochaye!” questions (questions with progressive clues of the “Who Am I
type)
• More than 200 tiebreaker questions
The quiz starts at 6pm and prizes include cash, restaurant vouchers, wine and beer. Players not conversant with UQ history can elect to try an alternative component.
Media: Mr McCowie (0423 775 025, cmccowie@optusnet.com.au)
