Eric Xu is a senior at the University of Virginia and a three-time HSNCT All-Star. Eric prides himself on his glorious falsetto; ask him about it if you see him liveblogging your game at the HSNCT!

How did you get involved with quiz bowl?

I was approached by one of the debate teachers at my middle school, who happened to be the coach of my high school’s quiz bowl team. He had seen me use my three study halls in eighth grade to steadily copy the entire Oxford English Dictionary, and probably thought that that kind of work ethic would be good for quiz bowl. I joined the very next year after I reached high school, but didn’t really dedicate the time or effort to be truly successful at the game until my sophomore year.

What was quiz bowl like in Virginia?

Quiz bowl during my first year meant attending VHSL district meets every other Wednesday night or so, hanging out with my friends and traveling around the region. My entire quiz bowl world consisted of VHSL competition up to the state level; I had no inkling that another tier of competition existed or that my school was missing out. Attending the Cavalier Classic at UVA during my sophomore year of high school first impressed on me that Saturday tournaments in tossup-bonus format existed, and that format was what really hooked me. Weekend quiz bowl tournaments in Virginia were and are mainly hosted by colleges such as UVA, William & Mary, VCU, Virginia Tech, and the like, with certain traditionally strong high school programs also taking turns. There’s a clear distinction between those schools that know of Saturday tournaments and those who play only VHSL questions.

What are some of your favorite memories about quiz bowl?

Getting to know people from across the nation, getting the chance to start up my own podcast with zero experience, and really getting into the flow of the game in certain rounds. Those things kept me coming back game after game. There wasn’t anything like meeting up with friends you had only talked to online for months and being certain that you could connect with them over your love of the game. Similarly, I always got a kick out of being in the zone—leg thumping below the table, hunched forward to hear the moderator better, cracking my knuckles after getting a nice early buzz. In the end, the experience matters more to me than the results, but the results could occasionally be quite good!

How did your team get invited to the HSNCT?

We were invited after snatching the NAQT Virginia State Championship away from both Thomas Jefferson and Maggie Walker, the two perennial superpowers of Virginia quiz bowl. Granted, both teams were at partial strength on that day, but I remember that moment as one of my first “I’ve made it” experiences while playing the game.

What do you remember about your first HSNCT?

I remember doing a horrifyingly intense search on the databases every time a new team would sit in the opposing chairs from me. Probably not the healthiest thing to do for my sanity, but I felt like I needed to know who I should expect to put up the big numbers in the round. We took some bad losses in the morning, but winded up with a 7–3 record after Sameen Belal’s (Walter Johnson) protest was denied. The playoffs were a rough time; there’s no tension like the Sunday morning and afternoon tension at HSNCT, and I would up choking my team with eight negs and a 5-point loss to a veteran Bellaire A team.

Who were your strongest opponents (players or teams)?

The LASA A that I played in the 2013–2014 season was one of the most balanced, yet deep teams that I believe to have ever existed. They covered all bases outside of biochem and were some of the most sociable and fun personalities I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering in quiz bowl. Maggie Walker was another formidable opponent during my junior and senior years. Junior year, I won each and every game I played against them until the elimination round of the HSNCT, finishing in 8th place. Senior year, I lost each and every game I played against them until the HSNCT, where I beat them to move to 9-0 on Saturday. Fantastically fun rivalry. Sam Blizzard would always edge me out barely in Nationals scoring, and was always an enjoyable individual opponent to play in person.

What do you think the HSNCT will be like 20 years from now?

Hopefully just as vibrant and exciting as it was when I was around! I’d love more international teams and states to be represented in the event, but I also fear that the quality of competition will keep going up and up until the difficulty reaches college level. Making sure that questions stay gettable for new teams while still challenging the veterans of the scene will be an important hurdle for NAQT’s writers and editors to vault over the next two decades.

Do you have a favorite buzz? Favorite protest?

No favorite buzz, but I have a fun story for favorite protest. At NASAT during my senior year of high school, I was in a pitched battle with Illinois. We pulled it out on the last question, but the Illinois coaches protested that Rob Carson had spoiled the tossup by partially blurting out the word “mayor” in a tossup on the mayors of New York. Irate, we tried to argue our case, but their protest won and led to a tied game after their bonus. The tiebreaker question ended up being a tossup on mayors of Chicago, which I promptly second-lined. My teammates’ expletives were quite heavy after that….

What has life been like for you since your All-Star runs?

Life’s been pretty good! I received a Jefferson Scholarship to attend UVA without cost, helped significantly by my quiz bowl accomplishments in high school. I’m currently in the Politics Honors program here at UVA, and am planning on working in private equity and consulting for a bit before pivoting back to government-related work after I get my citizenship. As far as quiz bowl goes, it’s still a very enjoyable part of my life, and I’ve loved getting close to the UVA team during all of my years here. No complaints!

How do you stay involved in quiz bowl now?

Until a few months ago, I was the President of UVA’s quiz bowl club, so hosting and playing tournaments was something that I spent a decent amount of time doing. Now that I’ve stepped down from that position, I’m looking forward to studying up a little bit more and getting back in the swing of competition once again. College life gives me less time to spend on quiz bowl than high school life did, but in case I never return to graduate school, I want to get my fill of competition while I can.

How has quiz bowl prepared you for life?

Quiz bowl gives me the confidence to approach every class knowing that I will have already learned about some of the topics ahead of time. It provides a great bird’s eye overview of the academic landscape, so that I can dig deeper and explore the details with a sense for the bigger picture. That’s a tremendous help when it comes to tackling new topics; it’s certainly made me feel a lot more comfortable taking classes that I’ve had zero prior experience with!

When did you become a writer? Was that as you imagined?

I first became a writer in high school, but didn’t really ramp up my production until I got into college. Writing has never been the best way for me to improve, but it’s been a decent source of supplementary income, so I continue to do it occasionally. It’s certainly a lot harder than I had imagined at first, but I enjoy laboring over clue selection and providing the best possible experience for my question listeners.

Do you have a favorite topic to write about?

I love writing about visual art and painting. Although not a research focus of mine, visual art questions are the most interesting to write because of the way that the author gets to re-paint a portrait of the work for the listener. It’s sort of like a reverse-charades game, where you reveal a little bit more of the work at a time until someone finally clicks it all together. Researching the questions is also a nice way to get some more beauty in my life during a long day.

Do you write any questions for the HSNCT? How are these questions different from questions during the regular season?

I haven’t written any questions for the HSNCT myself, but I’ve seen plenty read to me! They’re obviously higher in difficulty than Invitational Series-level questions, but they’re nothing that experienced high schools can’t handle. In particular, because of the way the canon expands as you go higher up in difficulty, many high school teams with previous experience on college questions actually find the questions quite reasonable! The questions are always fun to play, and show a little more sparkle and creativity due to the expanded answer space that the writers have to work with.

What is your favorite thing to do at the HSNCT?

My favorite part of HSNCT is talking to players who are about to step into high pressure situations. Although they’re always very friendly, they often get a look on their faces of complete determination and concentration, which brings me back to my time competing in HSNCT. Getting lost in the game to such an extent has always been a goal of mine, and seeing newer, younger faces do the same thing all these years later fills my heart with joy.

If you weren’t playing or working, what would you be doing at HSNCT instead?

Probably hopping around with the livebloggers to experience the best competition that HSNCT has to offer! Livebloggers always know where the juiciest games are at.

What advice do you have for other players?

Back when I went to my first tossup-bonus quiz bowl tournament, I made a post on the quiz bowl forums along the lines of “how to make my team more than mediocre.” Some of the best quiz bowl minds of the day posted in that thread to help me, and I still point out their advice to this day when new players ask me how to improve! In my mind, the biggest thing you can do is to really love what you’re doing and to love the process of improvement. The best kind of quiz bowl discipline is the kind that flows unabated rather than being directed; if you have to force yourself to study, you’re probably not enjoying yourself as much as you should be.

For coaches?

The best coaches that I’ve ever seen at the high school level—Jason Flowers [LASA], Adam Escandell [Harmony Science North Austin and LASA], Dennis Loo [then Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, now IMSA]—know how to take a step back while still remaining engaged. Taking care of the behind the scenes stuff, such as keeping track of buzz points, tendencies, bonus conversions, is definitely huge. Knowing when to step in with a well-placed timeout can mean the difference between a 200-point blowout and a 50-point come-from-behind victory, so identifying those key pressure points is also important. Make sure to keep your kids loose and engaged at the same time; it’s a delicate balance!

For the community as a whole?

Stay welcoming, stay friendly. The community has always been wonderful to me, but it’s had some less-than-savory moments in the past. The arc of the quiz bowl community bends towards justice and respect; keep making yourself available as a resource to newer players, staffing local tournaments, attending nationals. Growing the game requires the part-time work of hundreds of people, and you should be proud that you’re contributing to something you love so much.

Any last thoughts?

If you’re staying at a hotel with a high ceiling, don’t drop Coke cans off the top into the lobby.