(Letter to freshmen)
BOMO TRIVIA INC
Williams College
Williamstown Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF CONTEST DESIGN
December 1, 1976
Dear Member of the Class of 1980,
O.k., you econ jocks, pre-med freaks, philo groovers and youth with no direction . . . now that you know that ontogeny recapitulates philogeny and that soaring verticality was where it was at in Gothic architecture, let us tell you where you really earn your wings.
Maybe you've heard about the trivia contest. It's as much an institution as Yo Yo, and it commands almost as much reverence. Partly because you need a nice lunatic binge between that last paper and that first exam, partly because it's a damn good party, and partly because you can't study for it, outline it, get it all on 3 x 5 cards, approach it synthetically; you can't wing it. It's fun because for once, you're tested on everything you never learned at Williams. You've heard of Williams-in-India and Williams-in-New York; well, this amounts to Williams-on-TV or Williams-at-the-movies.
This is what happens: you turn on WCFM (91.9) the night after classes end (Wednesday, December 8) at midnight. Make sure you have a few telephones (the more the better), get your friends together, and think up a name for your team. From midnight to 8:00 a.m. we'll be asking trivia questions over the radio, and then we will give vou the length of a great oldie record to call the radio station with the answer to the trivia, and title and artist of the oldie. We warn you-- the questions aren't easy (do you know Sky King's niece AND nephew?),and the songs are ones you may know, but you'll be in agony if you forget that it was the Seekers who did "Georgy Girl".
There'll be hour-long bonus questions, super bonuses, and all-new incredible gusto bonus. And don't think you've got to be some amazing expert to play a crucial role. You need as many friends as you can get together (like your whole entry and more if possible) because some people have to dial phones, some people have to concentrate on the bonus questions, and more still to make sure there's a good supply of traditional refreshments on ice and untraditional refreshments rolled.
The trivia contest seems to attract the gusto people who don't necessarily think the day ends when Sawyer closes. And it happens to be timed at just the point when you want to close that book, have some fun, and frankly, my dear, not give a damn.
Bomo, the reigning trivia champion, will welcome you to Williams on Wednesday night, December 8th, at midnight.
E Trivia Armigeri,
Bomo