Written by Maggie Mull
What year was New Holland founded?
What president was featured on the $100,000 bill?
How many golf clubs can a player carry in their bag at one time?
These questions (and many more!) were asked at Trivia Across the Decades, which took place on March 19 in the Garden Spot Village Chapel. Formulated and run by Garden Spot High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society, the event aimed to foster intergenerational connections through friendly competition.
Residents of Garden Spot Village were free to walk into the event and partake in the fun, whether by actively participating on a team or simply spectating. A total of 15 teams formed, each comprising of both students and residents. Teams were provided with answer sheets and asked to come up with a creative group name.
My team chose to play as the Computer Gurus. This reflected the hobbies and strengths of my teammates, Betty and Connie. In a conversation held prior to the event’s start, they explained to me how they are members of Garden Spot Village’s Computer Users Group. This group is one of the many micro-communities found at Garden Spot Village, each of which provides a sense of connection over a shared interest.
After the teams were finalized, the game began. Each officer of the National Honor Society was responsible for creating categories that consisted of 10 questions. The chosen categories were United States Presidents, Music, Slang, Food, New Holland History, American History, Movies, and Sports. The range of categories was supplemented by questions that spanned across various time periods, which sparked positive communication across the generational gap.
Questions were read aloud by Morgan Watt, president, and Sean Sexton, secretary. Each was displayed for 10 seconds, inspiring a sense of urgency. There was little time for deliberation, and trust in your teammates’ response was required. After each category was finished, answers were graded by Genevieve Adamow, vice president, and Brooklynn Groff, treasurer. The team that got the most answers correct in each category was awarded a point.
After 80 questions, the game resulted in a suspenseful tie between the Ism’ers and the Track Stars. To break it, a jar containing an undisclosed number of Hershey Kisses was passed around. Each team had to make their best estimate on its total contents. Both guesses were close, but the Ism’ers ultimately won. As a prize, the team received chocolate and vintage National Honor Society t-shirts.
However, the true prize of this event was the strengthened sense of community it provided for all involved. Participants were able to facilitate new, meaningful connections in an engaging environment, an act that aligns with the overarching principles and goal of Garden Spot Village’s community.
Thank you to everyone who assisted with and attended this event – especially to Summer Stern, historian, who provided us with the photographs that accompany and truly encapsulate this piece.