UW Stevens Point: Prepares for 49th year of the world’s largest trivia contest

Media Relations 715-346-2490
ucm@uwsp.edu

715-346-3046

Eager teams will gather in Stevens Point next month, looking for “nuggets” of wisdom and “panning” for the right answer. It is all part of the “rush” that is the world’s largest trivia contest, held once again through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s WWSP 90FM the weekend of April 13-15.

“Trivia 49: The Trivia Rush of 49” will bring thousands of participants together from around the world for 54 hours of trivia questions and music. The radio station’s student staff members support the work of long-time coordinators, Jim “The Oz” Oliva and John Eckendorf.

Recently profiled in Wisconsin PBS’s Feb. 22 episode of “Around the Corner with John McGivern,” (www.milwaukeepbs.org/local-programs/programs/around-corner-john-mcgivern) the trivia contest not only brings together the Stevens Point community, it is a learning experience for student staff members to help plan the event.

“Trivia season is an exciting time around 90FM,” said Ben Kurowski, the station’s public relations director. “Trivia gives a chance for people in the community to come together for a fun weekend of competition. The staff and volunteers have been working to create a contest that will be exciting for everyone.”

The contest kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, April 13, with a parade around the UW-Stevens Point campus. Questions begin at 6 p.m. and continue until midnight Sunday, April 15. The radio station will broadcast eight trivia questions per hour and teams will have the length of two songs to call in with the correct answer in order to be awarded points.

The contest also includes two running questions for which teams must go out in the community to find the answer, three music questions for which sound bites from eight songs are played and participants must decipher the name of the song, and three trivia stone, scavenger-hunt like questions. The top teams win trophies and bragging rights.

To join the fun, teams must register in person and in advance at the 90FM Studios from 3-7 p.m. Monday -Thursday, April 9-12, and noon to 6 p.m. Friday, April 13. Registration is $40 per team, with proceeds supporting the general maintenance of WWSP 90FM and scholarships for 90FM staff members. To register an out-of-town team or pre-order merchandise, go to www.90fmtrivia.org. Merchandise may also be purchased on-site at registration.

This year’s Trivia movie screens at midnight Friday, April 6, and at 10 a.m. and midnight on Saturday, April 7. The movie is for all ages and costs $3 at the door.

Celebrating its 50th year, the non-profit WWSP 90FM at UW-Stevens Point is the largest student-led radio station in the Midwest. To learn more or schedule interviews with Trivia coordinators and players, contact University Communications and Marketing at 715-346-3572, 346-2490 or ucm@uwsp.edu.