Welcome to the Missouri Academic Competition Message Board!

As of July 2008, we have enacted an identification policy (full board rules here) that requires your name and affiliation in your signature. You may edit your signature here.

Additionally, this thread contains posts from many of our members with a few biographical details. While optional, we encourage you to reply to this thread and give:
---name
---high school on which you played Academic Competition (and graduation date)
---college you are attending/will attend and your majors (and graduation date)
---other future plans
---hobbies (not including Academic Competition), etc.

Of course, if you're just a fan of Academic Competition and you aren't on a team, you don't need to reply to the questions that don't apply.

Thanks to Melissa and Bill for suggesting additions to these questions.

If you need to add something to your post, please edit it instead of making another post. Thanks!

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Anyway, here's my bio (updated 7/8/2009)

Jeffrey Hill, Liberty High School Class of 2005. Graduated from UMR in May 2009 with a BS in Computer Engineering. Hobbies include reading (this board, not actual books), writing (posting to this board, not actually writing), any kind of extraneous Scholar Bowl stuff I can fit into my empty schedule, and doing whatever (on the computer or watching TV is what I do 99% of the time when I'm not sleeping, working, or doing something scholar bowl related). Currently working as a software engineer at Garmin in Olathe, KS.

Basically, I have no life.

Melissa McCush, now at Missouri Western State College, formerly of Savannah High School (graduated 2002).

Oh, and how about everyone add their graduation dates (either college or high school), and college people should add their majors and career plans.

Major: History with a minor in Education, graduating in May 2006, Career Plan: High school history instructor and possible quiz bowl coach OR question writer.

Updated information, 5 March 2013:
Kyle Hill, Liberty HS Class of 2003, Truman State Class of 2007 with BA in Communication.
Currently the overnight announcer and a news programmer at a group of stations in North Central Missouri. I spent just under four years at a pair of stations in Northwest Arkansas, and lived for eight months on the Kentish Riviera.

Original post:
Kyle Hill, Liberty HS Class of 2003, journalism major at Truman State, aiming for completion of bachelor degrees in spring 2007, followed by either a career in radio, print, or going straight to a post-grad education program elsewhere in the state.

Quite logically, I do spend a ridiculous amount of time in the SUB Media Center, spinning the tracks on 88.7 the Edge, reporting on Senate for the Index (recently named best college paper in the State of Missouri - HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES, MIZZOU!?!? )

One day I'll probably be posting tournament info on this board, however often I do, since I plan to coach if I can fit it in with advising a journalism staff.

Bill Stallard East Buchanan Class of 2001, Current at UMR, Majoring in Computer Engineering with minors in Math, Computer Science, and History. I plan to get a job using at least one of my degrees, after I leave UMR next year

Jason Mueller, Lincoln High School 2001, now at Mizzou (graduating this May).
Grad school plans still to be determined.

Matt Chadbourne, Viburnum High School 2004, now at (edit) Missouri S&T currently majoring in math.

Tim Carroll
Kirksville High School
Senior.
I plan to attend one of seven colleges and major in one of a thousand subjects.

Jared Kathcart
Richland High School
Graduating in 2005
Going to Southwest Baptist University and majoring in Religious Studies/Religious Education, with a minor in political science.

Marie
Liberty High School class of 05
Drury University class of 09
Majoring in English, Religion, and Spanish, minoring in global studies. hmm...

Cody Umfress sophmore Viburnum. College choice undecided.
I could go to any college in the state and the state would pay for it but I have no idea which one to go to.

Brandon Thomas-Mound City High School-2006
College: Truman State University
Possible Majors: Undeclared/maybe Finance&Banking/maybe pre-law...
Possible Minor: Undeclared/art history maybe..
i might take over the family bank when i graduate....maybe...

David Hoffelmeyer; Savannah; Junior; I might go to college...

John Ahlfield, Liberty High School class of 2007. I plan on going to college, probably somewhere in-state, and as of yet I have no real plans on a major, I know it'll be math/science related though. I enjoy cooking (and eating of course), reading, playing games (video and board), spending time with my stupid Lab puppies, and that's about it. Oh yeah, and I was on JV Scholar Bowl this year, I'm a nerd, and I spend too much time looking at this board...

Warren Hays
Eugene High School Class of 2005
Will attend Missouri State in the fall
Majoring in something, maybe English, maybe not
Planning to write fiction on the side of whatever I end up doing with my life
Hobbies: writing (short stories, long stories, a little poetry), reading, guitar & piano, video games, sleeping, daydreaming, politiking

Mark Bryan, Liberty High School, Class of 2006, no real college plans yet, planning on majoring with something in math or computers or both, listening to music on my computer while playing minesweeper and solitaire and visiting this board and Star Wars. That about does it I think.

[redacted: upon further review I look really tool-bagish]

AJ Arbogast
Hume Class of 2005
Fort Scott Comm College Graduate 2007
Working on BGS from Fort Hays State Online College

Clark Poland
WCA class of 2006
Truman State University, Political Science and Economics

Tracy Oliver
Adair High School (2A mostly), Adair, Oklahoma, Class of 2003. Currently 2nd semester Sophomore at UMR in Electrical Engineering. I like watching TV shows and movies where people are taking long walks on the beach; goofing off instead of doing my homework; playing online text-based games (Utopia, Earth2025) because my computer is crappy; playing basketball, badminton, racquetball, ping-pong, flag football, and a couple of others; and working with the local Boy Scout troop back home.

I am also in AFROTC here. I have not decided whether I like it or not yet. Also, anything Bill says about me is a lie, unless he is trying to circumvent this statement, in which case he will be dealt with.

Kent Buxton
Notre Dame High School (Cape Girardeau) Class of 2005


Favorite things to do: theatre.... it was my life and now it's sad that my last high school show is over (42nd Street), roller hockey, basketball, and all the normal teen stuff (hang out with friends, listen to music, hang out with g/f, etc.)

Future Plans: I just got back from a visit to University of Notre Dame. It was impressive and just makes the decision even more difficult. I have to decide by Saturday and I only have it "narrowed" to Truman, ND, and Rhodes in Memphis still. So I will be going to one of those three for sure.... I know that at the moment.

Career Plans: Right now I'm thinking Pre-Med but that will probably change in a month or so like it does ever few months..

EDITTED (12/27/06): Wow, this is old. I´m at Truman State and am a Junior now by hours. Pre-med is still the way. Theatre is out though ... no time for that in college. I still play bball and now I´m addicted to ultimate frisbee and ping-pong. Music is my major distraction from everything... it makes a great band-aid. As for med school. I haven´t even thought about the MCAT too much yet but I would like to go to Univ. Nebraska at Omaha or SLU or Mizzou or somewhere on the West coast... we´ll see who will take me.

John Scognamiglio
Eureka High School class of 2002
Truman State University class of...well...Dec 06 or May 07
Member of Truman ACO
DVD Magnate (well, i got close to 500 total discs)
Major of History and Comm-Journalism (basically I'm in the tree-killing business)

Andrew Fields

Wesminster Christian Academy -- 2004

Currently at Moody Bible Institute studying Applied Linguistics
Hope to plant churches and translate the Bible in a tribal setting

Stuff I do: roll with my posse, play wiffle ball, read, listen to music and such, watch films and other sundry forms of entertainment, play racquetball, and get the digits

Stuff I don't do: watch the WB, eat any "meat" product produced by the Armour company, take myself too seriously, run, or think I am God's gift to women

Mallika Thampy -- Westminster Christian Academy Class of 2006

Stuff I do: Think about lacrosse. Play lacrosse. Breathe lacrosse. Dream lacrosse. Go on crazy road trips and end up in the middle of nowhere playing quiz bowl. Laugh at people who take quiz bowl too seriously. Rollin' with my homies. Run. Get offline and have relationships.

Stuff I don't do: Make tiramisu. Speak quietly. Be a megalomaniac. Read sci-fi.

Bridget Zacharias, Smithville High School Class of 2007. I plan to go to MU for vet school even though I love KU. I love to golf, read, hunt, fish, shop, and watch college sports. I like to listen to 70's music, like Queen, Lynard Skynard, and the Eagles. Our school is finally starting to get into Quiz Bowl. Our JV team got third at state this year and our varsity team, well...they'll be much better next year considering how they did this year.

---Katelin Hill (Jeffrey and Kyle's younger sister)
---Liberty High School (2009)
---I have no clue which college yet. Probably MU.
---Other Future Plans: No idea yet... :unsure:
---Science Olympiad, Band, Volleyball, Computers, etc.

umm somehow i never filled this out...??? i remember posting all of this at some point, but apparently not on this thread. so uh...i'll write it out again....

caitlin
liberty 2005 / truman state 2008
currently at: truman state
major: haha ummm technically undeclared but i think i'll 'declare' soon (how do i go about doing that?) and i'll be double majoring in english (emphasis on creative writing) and communications (most likely communications science)
hobbies: reading, writing, tennis, gymnastics, random sports (soccer, ultimate frisbee, basketball, etc. i suck at them all but enjoy them greatly), climbing/hugging trees, swinging, playing violin, listening to music, shakespeare, napping, licking boys, photo safaris/random adventures, playing, making paper mache volcanoes and 10 gallons of kool aid (but not at the same time).... the list goes on. basically, everything under the Son. :)

Stephanie
Liberty 2007
as for college, the old dilemma of in state for free or out of state for debt applies. either UMKC six year med or some where far, far away from l-town.
hobbies and interests: look to my profile if you want a full list, right now you could say my hobby is being lazy and enjoying the snow.

Justin Morris, Fordland High School (captain), Class of 2006.
Planning on going to Northwest Missouri State University next fall, probably majoring in math.

I play the drums and baseball, and academic team (obviously). I also play Xbox (working on Half-Life 2 right now).

Mmm... First post.

I'm Jason Wu from Ladue, class of '06. College status TBD.
Besides Quiz Bowl, I do some math, science (especially bio), debate, and other stuff.

Jeni Graves

Mound City High, Class of 2006

Truman State University

Biology

Volleyball, drumming, ingesting sugar, academic bowl, other clubs, knitting, music.

Name: Shawn Pickrell

Age: Not Ancient, but more like High Renaissance.

Day Job: I work in Washington DC as a UNIX sysadmin.

Side Job: Director of the Virginia High School League's Scholastic Bowl state tournament. I also write/edit questions for all three levels (districts, regions and states.)

The more communication we have between states the better.

Lauren Miles, Mound City, class of 2008.
My only real hobby is golf (since I'm not allowed to list quiz bowl).

Peter Mead random fan from springfield... and no I don't hate Nixa I just speak the truth

Shane Daniel, Liberty, Class of 2007.

I would like/absolutely love to attend University of Chicago. Slightly more realistic options include University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Minnesota, and Drury University. Any major dealing with science is a possibility

If I were to draw up a list of my hobbies, it would consist of such things as random dancing; putting things into my mouth; frisbee catching, throwing, and running frantically after; browsing the int4rw3b (Go FireFox!); playing videogames (PS2, DS, PC, and hopefully the Revolution when it comes out); and collecting Bald Eagle related things.

My extra-curricular activities have varied throughout my high school career. My freshman year, I participated in soccer and Science Olympiad at Monett High School. The next year, I moved to Liberty and ran Cross Country and played Scholar Bowl. This year I ran again and played Scholar Bowl again. One constant has been band. Saxophones unite!

Nicholas White
Mound City
Class of 1999
Currently teaching at King City - Business, Asst. Football, ABC helper.

Last of 4 straight my year with Maggie and Kevin and Justin Wilson. Good luck Panthers on Sat. Hope to see you at state against my Kats.

Later

Im Josh Chittum, Im attending South Shelby High School right now but will graduate here preaty quick(06)...Im going to go to MU and major in Journalism...I like just hangin out and doin nothing....Im fat though so its ok.

Jason Killam

Fordland Academic Team

I mostly just play Runescape and HALO 2 (in other words no life lol)

Here's my e-mail boxshaman@yahoo.com

Patrick Bertoldie
Fordland A-Team Coach (5 years)
Also coach Cross-Country (10 years)

Hold Marshfield HS 3200m (basically 2 mile) record @ 10:01.04, but am more proud of a 4:15 road mile while running independently in college.
Was a part of Championship "Drury Scholars Challenge" Team and 1 or 2 Championship "SMSU Geography Bowl" Teams, but graduated before the current MSHSAA championships were set up for academic teams.

When I took over our program, our school only had a season or two under their belts, and their only win was in a JV match. My first year we only went to districts because I was asked late to take things over and I didn't have a clue as to what options I had. We went 1-2 at districts and lost all four players to graduation. Our next season we went 1-5 or 1-8 (I swear we went to districts, but I can't find the result sheets anywhere). Our only win was a bye! Season 3 we went 8-8, but 7 of our losses were to very good Norwood and Seymour teams (We kept meeting them in pool play and then again in the semis or finals). The last two years we have gone 19-5 and 25-5. We won Conference and Districts both years, and placed 3rd in state last year.

--Name: Charles Dees--
--School: NKCHS (...I'd better say it) YES!, class of 2008--
--College: Unsure, but I'm leaning towards Oberlin Conservatory--
--Other plans: Again, unsure--
--Hobbies: Music (listening, playing violin, and composition), winning bets against my dad, curling (as in "shuffleboard on ice" Olympic curling), and just about anything else that catches my fancy--

(Updated 3/23/09)

Name: Paul Nelson.

High School: Cuba High School (Class of '98) I've been around way too long.

College: UMR (not Missouri S&T!) (BA History 2002)

Job: I serve as a jack-of-all-trades for a wig company in St. Louis. I also write questions for NAQT part-time, as well as promoting the format around town.

Interests: Classic country music (and rap too, believe it or not), politics, NASCAR, British television, Kansas, nature trails, Texas Hold 'Em, reading, writing, cooking, traveling, and collecting TV shows on DVD (most of which I shouldn't admit to).

Future plans: Cross-country trip across Canada--maybe someday.
I'm currently learning to play the guitar; I'm hoping to perform in the near future if I can get a couple of songs worked up.


<div class="editby">Edited by <a href='http://s4.zetaboards.com/Academic_Competition/profile/89050/'>PenforPrez</a>, Mar 22 2009, 11:39:46 PM.</div>

---Name: Alex Dzurick
---High school: Junior @ South Callaway HS (in Mokane, MO)
---College: unsure as of yet
---Other future plans: be involved at the Missouri Scholars Academy
---Hobbies: Reading, spelling (was in National Bee in 2002), talking and hanging out with my friends

Name: Jacqui Dowling

High School: Fordland High School, graduated 2005, captain for 03-04 and 04-05

College: OTC for the moment, then on to Drury or MSU next fall

Hobbies: Reading, movies, school (sad, but true). I have recently taken up running, and found that I really enjoy it.

Future Plans: Up in the air, I know I want to be one of the following; history/drama teacher, social worker, or HS counseller

Hey, everybody. I just found out that this board exists. I would have thought someone would have given me a heads-up some time ago. It even looks like my notorious brother has posted on here before. Nevertheless, I am glad to see that academic competition in Missouri is still alive and realtively well despite still being under MSHSAA's thumb.

I'm Andy Wehrman formerly of North Kansas City High School, class of 1999. I suppose my Missouri scholar bowl claim to fame comes from playing on all of NKC's four 4A state championship teams (96-99), and picking up a couple state individual scoring titles along the way.

I graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2003 with a BA in history, earned a Master's degree in Teaching in 2004, and am currently in my third year at Northwestern University pursuing a PhD in colonial/revolutionary American history.

I still dabble in quizbowl. I help out Northwestern's quizbowl program (we hosted a high school tournament last week and will be moderating at New Trier's solo tournament in a couple weeks).

For those of you that I have not seen in some time, I should also mention that I got married this July to a pretty girl from Arkansas who tolerates my quizbowl cravings (there's hope for all of us). Our hobbies include avoiding writing wedding thank you notes, and trying not to step on each other in our tiny (but with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan) Chicago apartment. Oh, and eating lots of delicious Chicago style pizza (more my hobby than hers).

Best of luck this year! I hope to see some more teams at national tournaments!

I'm Sean Phillips.
I graduated from Boonville High School in 2000, went to Washington University in St. Louis where I played quizbowl there for four years graduating in 2004 with a bachelors in Political Science. I am currently in my third year of law school at St. Louis University. With any luck, I will be practicing law by August of 07. With any luck, none of you will ever need me for that purpose.

As for the future, I plan on moving to KC sometime in the next year to be with my beloved. I still help out at quizbowl tournaments but have decided to stop playing for the foreseeable future. It was great for 10 years, but there comes a time when you just got to have a life. And I realize I'm writing that on a message board about quizbowl thus negating the previous sentence. Oh well.

My hobbies include reading Supreme Court opinions, attempting to rid the English language of misuse of the word "viable," and plotting nefarious plans from my job at the Washington University Campus Store. Look out Macedonia! I'm coming for your sorry ass!!!

I'm also really happy I popped the MRVC's cherry on this board. Sweet!

User number two was Lexington's Coach

--Name: yo, im christine and charlie says im the shizzz. yea.
--School: NKCHS yes. class 07
--College: not sure yet. maybe rochester institute of technology.
--Other plans: i dunnoooo
--Hobbies: i play soccer. and i run. yea. :ph43r: im an xc ninja. you jus dont kno it.

Guess I should add my name to this, though most people seem to know who I am. I'm Mike...used to go to NKC and graduated in 1997. I'm Andy's brother. I went to the University of Arkansas for college (people who aren't married to the state of Missouri and want to go to a decent state university for cheap/nothing should check it out). I graduated in 2001. Now I'm working on my PhD at Yale in medieval history.

I played quizbowl at Arkansas and still play some at Yale, though this will probably be my last year going to many tournaments. I'm trying to finish my dissertation. File that under "future plans." I also have hobbies.

I'm always willing to offer advice/opinions on teams, schools, formats, questions, whatever.

I am Chad Brewer (jr) current member of the Fordland A-team. I have played basketball my freshman year, never doing that again. I play baseball and I am a 3 time letterman. I have been on the academic team since last year where I was a jv member, but this year I hope to make varisty, and I am loving every minute of it. I have found since I got onto this site I spend way too much time on it. I like to wite music lyrics and dance to the beat of my own drum. I would like to go and get my pre-law degree at DU and then tranfer to Mizzu or Washington in Stl, to finish my law degree. I want to work for corperations such as Apple, or some universitys.

[font=Times]Jon Matthew - North Kansas City High School Class of 2002

I'm a junior at UMKC immersed in coursework for a double major and double degree in sociology and urban affairs. I may complete a minor in history when all is done. I'm preparing for a master's in public administration program with concentration in nonprofit leadership at the Bloch School at UMKC or out of state. I am also working on 300 internship hours for a nonprofit leadership program and 240 hours for my urban affairs major. I'm an intern with Bridging the Gap, an environmental nonprofit in KC. I'm co-founder and vice president of Kansas City chapter of ReclaimDemocracy.org.

I have not played in a tournament since 2002, which may be a good thing because I am known for breaking buzzers.

I live a block from the Country Club Plaza in KC, but have been biking to Westport, Waldo and the Brookside areas of KC more than I've stepped foot into the luxury shops. I would like to do some water skiing as I broke my collar bone in 2 places on New Year's Day at Snow (Ice) Creek. I fully recovered and am ready for some more adventures like maybe riding in the MS 150 next year.

I contacted Jeff Dazey at the beginning of the semester. Dazey, NKC Class of 2000, is in the master's of public administration program with a concentration in nonprofit leadership at UMKC's Bloch School.

My older sister is Jane Matthew. Jane was a scholar bowl player and NKC Class of 1995, She is a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science and religious studies from the University of Miami in 1998 and a master's degree in Cultures and Languages of Asia from the University of Wisconsin in 2004 and another master's degree in political science from Michigan in 2006. Jane has spent two summers doing research in India. Oh and she played quiz bowl at Miami too. Jane is also adivising undergraduates at Michigan and has taught some courses. She knows how to get funding for graduate school. She is gong to teach me how to be fully funded; she just doesn't know it yet.[/font]