Erik Nelson is an NAQT writer and pop culture enthusiast. Ask him about his extensive board game collection or his favorite arcades!

How did you get involved with quiz bowl?

I first learned of quiz bowl through a high school friend the fall of my freshman year. I was immediately hooked and have been involved in some capacity ever since—over 20 years now!

How did you get involved with NAQT?

Several years ago I ran into Ben Livingston, a friend and former high school teammate, who is a moderator for the local circuit in Minnesota. He encouraged me to reach out to R. Hentzel about getting involved. A short time later, I was attending an open house for a friend’s new dance studio, where I just so happened to meet and strike up a conversation with Christi Williams, the wife of NAQT stat overlord Scott Williams. I don’t recall exactly how it even came up, but I mentioned having played quiz bowl in high school and she immediately asked if I knew Scott or R. Looking back, it’s remarkable how that came together—I’ll never have a more impactful random encounter as long as I live.

What was NAQT like in the early days of your involvement?

I started working with our local league and circuit and got more and more involved from there. What I remember from the early days was how welcoming everyone was—some of my closest friends now are the people I met during that time.

How has it changed since then?

The tournaments have certainly gotten bigger, but our logistics team has always been up to the task. Thankfully, the friendliness and passion for quiz bowl is the same as it’s always been.

What do you remember about your first HSNCT?

My very first game as an HSNCT moderator involved LASA A, who would go on to win the tournament that year. I was already a bit nervous to be moderating at a championship tournament, but that was certainly a heck of a way to get started! I ended up reading for them twice that day, which was neat to see. My first HSNCT was also my first trip to the capital of the quiz bowl world, the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. I made a lot of very lasting friendships that weekend, and I’ve made so many memories at that hotel. I always like seeing that one sculpture.

What do you remember about your most recent HSNCT?

Sunday night’s ACRONYM tournament [the official pop culture side event] went great—seeing kids and adults alike having fun with that is always a thrill. The trip with a bunch of friends and fellow staffers to the Waffle House down the street was a real highlight as well. I was also on the social media team for the main event and had had a number of wonderful conversations with players, coaches, and families about their experiences. Some were celebrating big wins, and others were graceful in defeat.

Where do you see national championships evolving next?

I feel that we have the process down pretty well at this point, but I’m certain there’ll always be new ideas to make the experience smoother and more enjoyable for teams and staff alike.

Who were your fiercest opponents when you played?

The Blake School and St. Thomas Academy were absolute powerhouses at various points in my high school days. The Minnesota scene has evolved a lot since then, but both of those schools still have solid programs.

Where do you see the HSNCT going in another five, ten, or twenty years?

Over time, I expect the competition to get better and better, and that we’ll start seeing more international teams coming to compete. Perhaps eventually we’ll have a veritable world championship!

Do you have a favorite buzz, protest, or anecdote from a game room during HSNCT?

I didn’t personally witness this, but I heard a story from a local coach about a question I wrote for the 2016 HSNCT about Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle. His team had gone to the JFK museum the day before the tournament, and a player first-lined it based on some things they’d seen there. It’s always great to see kids applying the things they learn just from seeing and doing things—the stuff you learn can and will come up!

Before its most famous use, this object was hidden in the home of Michael and Ruth Paine. The user of this object acquired it with the pseudonym “A. Hidell” and claimed he also used it in an attempt to kill Edwin Walker. This object was discovered in the sixth floor of a building after an event in nearby Dealey Plaza. For 10 points—identify this weapon fired from the Texas School Book Depository in November 1963.

What advice do you have to share with the players?

Have fun! It’s certainly very important to play your best at this level of competition, but there’s little to be gained from taking it so seriously that you aren’t enjoying yourself. The HSNCT should never be a joyless experience.

How about advice for coaches?

Related to the above: make sure your players are having fun. The HSNCT is a massive, high-pressure tournament; it’s very easy to let stress get the best of you, but making sure your kids are having a good time goes a long way. The HSNCT is an opportunity that only comes so many times for any player, so it’s important to cherish it.

What advice do you have for the community at large?

As the community continues to grow, it’s paramount that we be good to each other and that all of us be welcoming and inclusive.

What part of your involvement with the HSNCT do you wish the community understood better?

I think it’s worth noting that while teams get byes during HSNCT, staff do not. We get to work our butts off. That’s not a complaint, though—I can not stress how great it is to be able to travel the country to see the best quiz bowl teams in the country do their thing. It can be exhausting, but we all truly love what we do.

As a writer for NAQT, how much of year is HSNCT prep for you?

HSNCT-level questions tend to be written whenever inspiration strikes (for me, anyway), but I probably write a few a week on average. I like to say that quiz bowl never sleeps (since there’s always a new set to work on), but there’s truly never too early to work on the biggest set of the year! I write a lot of questions on pop culture, history, literature, and fine arts (and dabble in most other subjects if the need is there as well). A lot of what I write is attuned to whatever the next upcoming set needs, but some days I’ll just write on a handful of cool ideas that I’ve accumulated (I have a big Google Doc for this that I’m constantly adding to).

If you weren’t moderating at the HSNCT, what would you be doing instead?

I…don’t even know—it’s been a long time since I missed one. I’d probably be fairly sad, thinking about how much I wished I was at the HSNCT instead of whatever less fun thing I was doing.

Part of your HSNCT experience has been running ACRONYM. Can you explain what ACRONYM is for people who haven’t heard of it?

ACRONYM is a tournament whose questions are entirely pop culture-related: there’s content on movies, TV, music, sports, video games, comic books, and other odd topics. As a result, the questions are a bit less serious (though they’re still professionally written), and the tournament is a bit more relaxed as a result. In Minnesota, it’s one of the last tournaments of the season—I like to think of it as the dessert at the end of a meal.

Why is ACRONYM so special to you?

I and/or my company (Play Quiz Bowl) has produced ACRONYM for each of the last five years, but before that it was the product of Matt Quinn and the Armstrong High School team. Matt is a dear friend, and I am beyond grateful to have been able to take the reins when he needed someone to do so. It’s now bigger than ever, and it’s wonderful seeing so many people take enjoyment from this silly little tournament.

Another portion of your quiz bowl endeavors involves the Bounceback Foundation. Can you elaborate on what it is?

The Bounceback Foundation was founded in 2017 to support mental health in the quiz bowl community. We provide materials at tournaments for players and coaches, raise money for national mental health organizations, and are committed to supporting the notion that quiz bowl is a positive, welcoming activity for all comers.

Why is it important to you?

I struggled with significant mental health issues in high school, and quiz bowl was one of the main things that kept me going. The Bounceback Foundation is my way of paying that forward. It’s important that people who are active in the quiz bowl community use their voices to be a positive influence, and this is my way of doing that.

Any last thoughts?

If you see me at the HSNCT or some other tournament, feel free to say hello! I’m always up for talking about quiz bowl or other nerdy stuff. Thanks for reading this, and best of luck in your future tournaments.