Written by Lauren Burns, Active member since 2017 and Junior Quiz Bowl team sponsor
Which Junior League of Lafayette community program recently celebrated its 30th anniversary? Answer: Junior Quiz Bowl! Beginning in the 1991-1992 League year, Junior Quiz Bowl has changed drastically. The most noted change? The fact that the questions were originally written by Junior League of Lafayette members! While the program is definitely different than what it started as, the aspect that has remained wonderfully consistent is the student participants. According to Carencro Middle School’s captain, Sam Glass, “This was the best thing that I did this year - it was so fun!”
On Saturday, April 9, Junior League of Lafayette’s Junior Quiz Bowl Committee put on a special celebration in honor of the program’s history for the over 80 participants for the 2021-2022 Junior Quiz Bowl season. Community Vice President Adoria Hankton introduced President Cathy LaGrange, who thanked the students, sponsors, and parents for a great season. Before beginning the final tournament of the year, Junior League of Lafayette treated the students to pizza and special 30th anniversary Junior Quiz Bowl cookies. Once full, the 16 teams competed in a single elimination tournament. With teams from Ascension Episcopal School, Carencro Middle, Catholic High of New Iberia, David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, Episcopal School of Acadiana, L.J. Alleman, Our Lady of Fatima, Paul Breaux, St. Michael, and St. Pius, the final match came down between two teams from Fatima, with Fatima Team 2 defeating Fatima Team 1. George Hollier, Fatima’s team coach, stated after the competition, “I want to thank Adoria Richard Hankton and Junior League of Lafayette for making this year’s Junior Quiz Bowl season possible. Adoria and her team of volunteers went out of their way, working tirelessly against the odds to make it possible for the season to happen. The students benefited tremendously from their efforts. We are very thankful for what they did for all the schools that participated.”
President Cathy LaGrange put it best when she said, “It means so much to be a part of the 30th anniversary of Junior Quiz Bowl. This program has impacted thousands of students and I have enjoyed meeting and talking to past participants and hearing how much this program helped them in their educational choices and career paths.”
Go team go! This is such an amazing community program and each of our volunteers puts in so much love to make it happen. You guys rock! And these kiddos are my heroes - these competitions are not for the faint of heart.