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April 6th, 2021
By: Ayn Reineke
Meet Totally Stumped, reigning champs of the Libraries’ first-ever all staff trivia tournament! Comprised of powerhouse trio Amy Childress (Office of Undergraduate Research), Matt Mudd (Purdue University Press) and Stephanie Schmitz (Archives and Special Collections), Totally Stumped beat out fourteen other randomly assigned teams of Libraries employees to win the coveted PULSIS Trivia Champion Trophy.
Conceived by Libraries Clerical Service Staff Advisory Committee (LCSSAC) (with special thanks to organizers Ashley Fawcett and Dan Rotello) as a fun way to virtually connect across Libraries divisions in a year without in-person social events, the trivia tournament grew into the highlight of the year for Libraries staff, with dozens of people tuning into Zoom to watch each match unfold. With categories ranging from “Literature and Library Stuff” to “History and Geography” to “Animals and Nature,” there was a category for every participant to shine. But what was the category that generated the most wrong answers and blank stares? Sports! (Okay, okay…so maybe some of those stereotypes about us indoorsy librarian-types are true.)
Speaking of Sports, when asked if any questions still haunt him, Matt said “I got a couple of sports questions wrong in the final. I feel like that was my best subject going in and I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if we lost.” Matt’s Sports advantage definitely helped give Totally Stumped an edge, but Amy and Stephanie were equally quick with correct answers across a broad range of categories, even if they are modest when speaking about their success. Stephanie says “Most of my answers were guesses, and plenty of them were wrong. I didn’t prepare before matches and I would have moments of panic prior to each with the thought “Oh no, I didn’t study.” Amy credits “lots and lots of reading” with helping her make it to the end of the tournament.
In one particularly tense match, the game ended with a tie and Totally Stumped had to answer a playoff question for the win. Of that nerve wracking moment, Matt said “I think we were all holding our breath!” But together, the team persevered and now have special trophies to honor their victory. Stephanie keeps hers on a bookshelf, while Amy and Matt both plan to display theirs “front and center on my desk!” Though they earned trophies, bragging rights, and applause, all three teammates agree that their favorite memories of the tournament are the interactions with colleagues across Libraries, the opportunity to see a different side of everyone, and lots and lots of laughs.
Congratulations, Totally Stumped! And thank you to everyone who participated, moderated matches, and cheered for our teams! Until next year!
