Andrew Sinclair is an English and Theatre teacher at the American International School of Guangzhou in China, one of seven schools from outside the U.S. that have have attended the HSNCT.

How did you get involved in quiz bowl?

When I taught at the Brent International School, Manila, my friend Jeff Nolan was the coach of the Brent quiz team. I started helping out in my second year, and Jeff and I coached together for three years before I moved on to the American International School of Guangzhou.

How did you hear about NAQT and the HSNCT?

When I first started coaching at Brent we hosted an annual tournament that used a variety of different styles of questions, including some hands-on events like building towers out of spaghetti and tape. The teams that came from China, however, were strong proponents of the NAQT format, and so in my second year we made the switch.

Last year was your and your team’s first HSNCT. What do you remember about it?

Our first game was against Ithaca [who finished tied for fifth]. It was a rough way to start our first-ever HSNCT, but we managed to score a few points.

We were all very impressed by how well-organized everything was, and how smoothly the tournament ran. It was a great experience for my team.

Who are your team’s strongest opponents?

The two powerhouses in the region are the Shanghai American School and the Singapore American School. The high point of our fledgling program to date was our semi-final victory over Singapore American A at this year’s Shanghai Invitational. We’ll be meeting up with them again at the Asian Championship, and I know they are looking forward to it as much as we are.

Do you have a favorite question from the 2017 HSNCT?

My team liked the “fidget spinners” question.

Editor’s note: Here’s the question:

A woman credited with inventing these objects was inspired by seeing children throw rocks at Israeli police. In May 2017 a girl in Texas was hospitalized after swallowing part of one. The purpose of these objects is similar to that of a hand-held cube, and some schools have limited their use to students with ADHD. Three moving wings are a common feature of—for 10 points—what stress-relief toys?

fidget spinners (accept hand spinners or stress-relief spinners or similar answers that mention spinners; prompt on “fidget (toy(s))” or “fidget (object(s))” or similar answers that mention “fidget”; do not accept or prompt on “fidget cube”)

What advice do you have to share with players?

Protobowl is not studying. Studying is not Protobowl.

With coaches?

One thing I noticed walking through the lobby at the HSNCT last year was that there were a lot of boys there. I have been lucky to have some very strong female players, which has made it easier to recruit younger girls, and I think that this will eventually be a competitive advantage for my team. I would encourage coaches to create a practice environment that is welcoming to all.

What are you looking forward to the most at the HSNCT this year?

Our goal this year is to make the playoffs. If we can do that I will be very happy. I’m also looking forward to checking out more of Atlanta’s restaurants. I was a chef before I was a teacher, and I’m always on the look-out for a good meal.