Liberty Scholars Bowl ranks nationally at championship
Sponsor Jane Haithcock, at left, led the Scholars Bowl Team at Liberty Middle School to fourth place nationally at the Middle School National Championship Tournament. Team members are Austen Wyche, Joshua Wang, Yuti Das and Ethan Xu. CONTRIBUTED
Liberty Middle School, Madison, Madison County Record, News, SCHOOLS -- FEATURE SPOT, Z - News Main
 By  GreggParker Published 
4:06 pm Monday, June 17, 2019

Liberty Scholars Bowl ranks nationally at championship

MADISON – The Scholars Bowl Team from Liberty Middle School claimed fourth place at the Middle School National Championship Tournament. They reached the highest score that any middle or high school team has ever placed at nationals.

Team members Yuti Das, Austen Wyche, Joshua Wang and Ethan Xu, all eighth-graders, entered the championship held at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency on May 10-13.

Their sponsor, Jane L. Haithcock, started mentoring Scholars Bowl during her first year of teaching in 2008. “I had some knowledge and experience with Scholars Bowl in high school, and I love ‘Jeopardy!'” she said. Haithcock, a National Board Certified Teacher, teaches eighth-grade language arts.

Similar to the “Jeopardy!” game show, Scholars Bowl rounds test students’ knowledge on diverse subjects from sports and pop culture to classic literature and biology. These fast-paced tournaments allow students to buzz in before the moderator finishes reading questions.

If a contestant buzzes early, the team receives a five-point bonus. If the contestant is early and wrong, the team loses five points.

“Individual students buzz in for a tossup. Then, the team has a series of thee bonus questions they can conference together and answer,” Haithcock said.

“The kids have put in a ton of work preparing for this season. They were on the team last year, have taken the class almost two years, went to summer camps and continue to study and play every day,” she said.

An example of an easy question is “Name this 2018 co-op sandbox survival game developed by People Can Fly. The game includes lootboxes shaped like llama pinatas.” The answer is Fortnite.

An example of a more difficult question is, “This president’s first attorney general, Griffin Bell, was instrumental in securing the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This president conducted secret negotiations that resulted in Menachem Begin signing a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat.”

“This is a harder question for 11- to 14-year-olds because Jimmy Carter was president a long time ago,” Haithcock said.

A Liberty student can qualify for Scholars Bowl by enrolling in the class. “Then, it’s a points system determined during the class practices and tournament plays,” she said.

“We had fun at nationals and represented Alabama well,” Haithcock said. “Plus, it was the last tournament this group and I had together before they left for high school.”

Also on The Madison Record
Space Command relocation to Huntsville to bring area growth
A: Main, Madison County Record, News, ...
Staff Reports 
September 10, 2025
HUNTSVILLE — Officials expect at least 1,400 jobs to be directly added to the north Alabama area with the U.S. Space Command Headquarters permanently ...
Newly elected Madison mayor to depart US Chess role
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
Ranae Bartlett was named US Chess Executive Director in 2024
By JOHN HARTMANN US Chess Press 
September 10, 2025
MADISON - It is said that no one can serve two masters. And so US Chess Executive Director Ranae Bartlett is trading Caïssa for the people of Madison,...
Triana Fire Department train for medical helicopter operation
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
Gregg Parker 
September 10, 2025
TRIANA – Firefighters who work in Triana Fire Department recently accomplished a new milestone in their training to serve and protect their town. On-s...
Itty Bitty Bakers sweetens the community with classes
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
By KADIE TAYLOR news@themadisonrecord.com 
September 10, 2025
MADISON - Sweeten your day, Itty Bitty Bakers offers baking classes for locals, from 18 months to adults. Itty Bitty Bakers owner Kayla Johnson has be...
Madison Visionary Partners to host Gather Madison, volunteers needed
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
EVENTS
Gregg Parker 
September 10, 2025
MADISON – In its premiere in 2025, the Gather Madison event will unite residents of all backgrounds at one long table for a free, shared meal in the s...
Kids to Love to go “Over the Edge” for children in foster care Sept. 19-20
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Staff Reports 
September 10, 2025
MADISON - Bold, compassionate individuals will be going “Over the Edge” for Kids to Love during a thrilling two-day fundraiser where participants rapp...
The Madison Street Festival is less than a month away
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
September 10, 2025
MADISON – The first Saturday in October. That’s the day Madison residents turn out to visit with friends and neighbors, promote school groups, shop fo...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *