Difference between revisions of "Academic Hallmarks"

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{{Companybox|Company Name = Academic Hallmarks
 
{{Companybox|Company Name = Academic Hallmarks
 
|Image = Academic hallmarks.png
 
|Image = Academic hallmarks.png
|president = Owner: [[Bill Brown]]
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|president = Owner: [[Pat Jewell]]
|citystate = Durango, CO
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|citystate = Ohio
|status = Open (allegedly)
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|status = Open  
 
| }}
 
| }}
 +
'''Academic Hallmarks''', abbreviated as '''AH''' and sometimes known as '''The Great Auk''' or '''AUK''' for its mascot, is a software publishing and question writing company historically based in Durango, Colorado. They supply decidedly [[non-pyramidal]] questions to a number of invitational tournaments, including [[Knowledge Bowl]] events in several states. From 1983 until 2013 they organized the online [[Knowledge Master Open]] competition.
  
'''Academic Hallmarks''', sometimes known as '''Great Auk''' is a software publishing and question writing company historically based in Durango, Colorado. They supply decidedly non-[[pyramidal]] questions to a number of invitational tournaments, including [[Knowledge Bowl]] events in several states where it is the dominant [[quizbowl]] format. From 1983 until 2013 they organized the online [[Knowledge Master Open]] competition.
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==Question quality==
  
==Question quality==
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AH has historically produced questions in which no attempt at following "[[good quizbowl]]" principles like [[pyramidality]] or avoiding [[trivia]] is made. Many questions for the high school sets rely on elementary-school-level knowledge of English grammar and deliberately appear to try to mislead players as to what is even being asked using a variety of [[swerve]]s and [[hose]]s as well as unclear [[lead-in]]s and extraneous information. Questions that consisted entirely of lists of various things that players had to identify as well as quotes were common. Wild difficulty swings from question-to-question, limited answer lines, extremely short questions, and confusing syntax can befuddle players and can easily lead to bizarre match outcomes.
  
AH has historically produced bottom-of-the-barrel questions in which no attempt at [[good quizbowl]] principles like [[pyramidality]] or avoiding [[trivia]] is made. Many questions for the high school sets rely on elementary-school-level knowledge of English grammar and deliberately appear to try to mislead players as to what is even being asked. Wild difficulty swings, unclear answer lines, and confusing syntax befuddle players and can easily lead to bizarre match outcomes.  
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A uniquely [[bad quizbowl]] feature of AH sets consisted of questions in the form of puns and riddles in which the player must provide the punchline for made-up limericks and ditties in order to "answer" the question. Many questions year-to-year were often either near-verbatim repeats of questions from previous years or on the same pet topics of the author's personal interest, often involving things having to do with Colorado or nearby areas.
  
A uniquely [[bad quizbowl]] feature of AH sets are questions in the form of puns and riddles in which the player must provide the punchline in order to "answer." Many questions year-to-year are often either near-verbatim repeats or on the same pet topics of the author's personal interest, often involving things having to do with Colorado or nearby areas.
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See a [https://web.archive.org/web/20210511203714/https://files.nwesd.org/website/Knowledge_Bowl/Knowledge%20Bowl%20Practice.pdf sample Academic Hallmarks packet] from 2010.  
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
Former School district superintendent Bill Brown founded Academic Hallmarks in 1982 after working with [[Colorado Knowledge Bowl]] for many years. As of June 2020, the original founder stepped down and [[Pat Jewell]] took over.  
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Former School district superintendent Bill Brown founded Academic Hallmarks in 1982 after working with [[Colorado Knowledge Bowl]] for many years. As of June 2020, the original founder stepped down and [[Pat Jewell]] took over. During the 2020-2021 school year, AH appeared to supply [[Questions Unlimited]] with questions for several events and technical support for QU's online events. A number of previous clients of AH such as the state Knowledge Bowl organizations in Minnesota, Colorado, and Washington switched to using [[Question Authorities]] instead.  
 
 
==Events using Auk questions==
 
Academic Hallmarks operates in perhaps even more of an "alternate universe" to the [[good quizbowl]] scene than [[Questions Unlimited]] does, with the names of events on its website sometimes being the only evidence that the events, or any kind of quizbowl circuit in the state in which the event is listed as taking place, exist at all. Great Auk has considerable influence on circuits in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with pockets of Auk questions usage in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire and several other states. Academic Hallmarks even has (or had) some international clients in Syria, Egypt, Russia, China, and Germany as they appear to market it to international schools.  
 
  
The list of AH "pristine question users" at http://www.greatauk.com/pristineusers.html contains many tournaments which have in fact switched to [[NAQT]] or HSAPQ questions, including at least one that abandoned AH as supplier over eight years ago. Several other "tournaments" listed on that page have gone defunct or do not appear to have ever actually existed in the first place (no hits on Google or news archives). It is unclear if a number of other tournaments and leagues that use AH questions are using pristine questions or instead "custom" question sets of questions from previous years of AH, which are all still sold from AH and updated yearly.  
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==Events using AH questions==
 +
Historically, Academic Hallmarks operated in perhaps even more of an "alternate universe" to the "[[good quizbowl]]" scene than [[Questions Unlimited]] does, with very little overlap with other quizbowl competitions. The Great Auk had considerable influence on circuits in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with pockets of AH questions usage in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire and several other states. Academic Hallmarks even has (or had) some international clients in Syria, Egypt, Russia, China, and Germany as they appear to market it to international schools.  
  
The full calendar is no longer maintained or linked from the main website as of the 2013-2014 competition year, with a more recent list of events as of Fall 2020 being much shorter than the list below. In 2012-2013, it listed the following events:
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A list of AH "pristine question users" posted at http://www.greatauk.com/pristineusers.html and maintained through the 2000s contained many tournaments which have in fact switched to [[NAQT]] questions over the years. Several other "tournaments" listed on that page have gone defunct. It is unclear if a number of other tournaments and leagues that use AH questions are using pristine questions or instead "custom" question sets of questions from previous years of AH, which are all still sold from AH and updated yearly in a large database. For an example of such a list, see [[2012-2013 Academic Hallmarks events]].
  
*8/25 Nebraska State Fair High School Quiz Bowl Grand Island, NE H
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The full calendar is no longer maintained or linked from the main website as of the 2013-2014 competition year, with a [https://web.archive.org/web/20210511202019/http://academichallmarks.com/events/ more recent list of events as of Fall 2020] being much shorter than the list below.  
*8/29 Benson High School Knowledge Bowl Benson, AZ H
 
*8/29 Black Hills Area Knowledge Bowl Rapid City, SD HM
 
*8/29 Cochise Athletic Conference Benson, AZ M
 
*8/29 Holly Practice Knowledge Bowl Holly, CO H
 
*9/5 West Georgia RESA Academic Bowl Grantville, GA HJME
 
*9/6 San Luis Valley Knowledge Bowl Alamosa, CO H
 
*9/8 Commonwealth Academic League Frankfort, KY H
 
*9/9 Gainesville Academic Competition Gainesville, MO H
 
*9/9 McNabb Middle School Academic Competition Mount Sterling, KY M
 
*9/10 Brookings High School Quiz Bowl Brookings, SD H
 
*9/10 Pittsburgh 8 Conference Indianola, OK JME
 
*9/10 Raceland Academic Competition Raceland, KY HJ
 
*9/10 Red River Academic League Irvine, KY H
 
*9/11 Highlander and Pizza Bowls Scotland, SD HJM
 
*9/12 CCAA Academic Meets Peggs, OK ME
 
*9/12 IACE Tournament Aurora, IN H
 
*9/12 Thatcher Knowledge Bowl Thatcher, AZ M
 
*9/14 Front Range Knowledge Bowl League Woodland Park, CO H
 
*9/14 Kentucky Valley Academic League Hazard, KY H
 
*9/14 MAC Scholastic League Celina, OH H
 
*9/14 Nassau County Knowledge Bowl Fernandina Beach, FL HJ
 
*9/14 Western Kentucky Academic Association Paducah, KY HM
 
*9/15 Fall High School Knowledge Meeet Towner, CO H
 
*9/15 Kentucky Collegiate Quick Recall League Williamsburg, KY C
 
*9/18 High School Quiz Bowl League Tiffin, OH H
 
*9/18 Pee Dee Academic Challenge Florence, SC HM
 
*9/19 Estill Madison Academic Conference Irvine, KY M
 
*9/19 ESU #3 Regional Quiz Bowl Omaha, NE HME
 
*9/19 Nebraska Literature Quiz Bowl Seward, NE H
 
*9/20 Arkansas Valley Knowledge Bowl League Pueblo, CO H
 
*9/20 West Georgia RESA Academic Bowl Brantville, GA HJ
 
*9/22 St. George's Quiz Bowl Tournament Collierville, TN H
 
*9/24 Cass Quad Quiz Bowl Louisville, NE M
 
*9/24 Central Western Scholastic Quiz League Johnstown, PA HJM
 
*9/25 Academic League Miami, AZ M
 
*9/26 Duncan Knowledge Bowl Duncan, AZ H
 
*9/28 Minnesota Service Cooperatives Knowledge Bowl Fergus Falls, MN HJM
 
*10/1 ESD #123 Knowledge Bowl Pasco, WA H
 
*10/1 Junior ACE Competition Crewe, VA M
 
*10/1 Swink Invitational Knowledge Bowl Swink, CO HM
 
*10/1 Wyoming Academic Challenge Rock Springs, WY H
 
*10/2 District Fall Meet Coatesville, PAa M
 
*10/2 North Florida High Q Conference Williston, FL HJ
 
*10/4 Northeast Service Cooperative Knowledge Bowl Mt. Iron, MN E
 
*10/4 Pima High School Knowledge Bowl Pima, AZ H
 
*10/6 Whiz Quiz U.S. vs Canada Watertown, NY H
 
*10/9 Black Forest League Knowledge Bowl Yoder,CO H
 
*10/9 Great Lakes Academic League Bowling Green, OH H
 
*10/9 Wayne County Academic Challenge League Wooster, OH J
 
*10/11 Omaha Bryan Quiz Bowl Bryan, NE HJM
 
*10/12 Holly Invitational Knowledge Bowl Holly, CO H
 
*10/12 Intermediate Knowledge Bowl St. Cloud, MN E
 
*10/12 MAC JV Scholastic Tournament Celina, OH J
 
*10/13 Fairview Invitational Knowledge Bowl Boulder, CO H
 
*10/15 Dove Creek Knowledge Bowl Dove Creek, CO HM
 
*10/15 Richland County High School League Mansfield, OH H
 
*10/15 Telluride Knowledge Bowl Telluride, CO HM
 
*10/17 NFWC Quiz Bowl Seward, NE H
 
*10/17 Norton's Invitational Scholars Bowl Norton, KS H
 
*10/17 Pioneer League Tournament Mulvane, KS M
 
*10/18 Jefferson County North Scholar Bowl Winchester, KS HJ
 
*10/18 Memphis University School Academic Tournament Memphis, TN H
 
*10/18 Foothills Academic Bowl Tournament Braselton, GA HJ
 
*10/19 NCKAC Eminence, KY HM
 
*10/21 Junior Varsity Academic Games Kuwait J
 
*10/22 Cortez Elementary Knowledge Bowl Cortez, CO E
 
*10/22 Greater Sioux Falls Home School Knowledge Bowl Sioux Falls, SD H
 
*10/22 Intermediate Knowledge Bowl St. Cloud, MN E
 
*10/22 Mulvane Scholars Bowl Mulvanee, KS M
 
*10/22 Ralston Spook-o-rama Ralston, NE H
 
*10/23 SCORE Stillwell, OK M
 
*10/25 Arkansas Valley Knowledge Bowl League Pueblo, CO H
 
*10/25 District Fall Meet Coatesville, PA M
 
*10/26 Grand Junction Fall Invitational Grand Junction, CO H
 
*10/26 WREG News Channel Three Knowledge Bowl Memphis, TN H
 
*10/29 Pioneer League Invitational Goddard, KS M
 
*10/30 Andover Central Scholars Bowl Andover, KS M
 
*10/31 Bi-County Knowledge Bowl Colbert, WA H
 
*11/1 Iowa High School Knowledge Bowl Ames, IA H
 
*11/1 Jefferson County AcademicLeague Amsterdam, OH H
 
*11/1 NEO A&M Quiz Bowl Miami, OK H
 
*11/1 Pride of Iowa Academic Quiz Bowl Truro, IA H
 
*11/1 Regional Quiz Bowl Stony Brook, NY H
 
*11/2 AASCA Knowledge Bowl Tournament Republic of Panama HJ
 
*11/2 Del Norte Invitational Del Norte, CO M
 
*11/2 Lamar Community College Knowledge Bowl Lamar, CO H
 
*11/2 MTI/DWU On Air Quiz Bowl Mitchell, SD H
 
*11/2 Nevada Academic Olympics Indian Springs, NV H
 
*11/2 Northwestern Colorado Knowledge Bowl League North Park, CO H
 
*11/3 Green Country Academic Conference Chelsea, OK H
 
*11/3 Richland County Elementary Tournament Mansfield, OH E
 
*11/5 Circle Invitational Benton, KS M
 
*11/5 Inland Empire Academic League Spokane, WA H
 
*11/5 Medicine Valley Invitational Curtis, NE H
 
*11/6 Northwest ESD #189 Regional Knowledge Bowl Anacortes, WA H
 
*11/7 Delta County Middle School Knowledge Bowl Hotchkiss, CO M
 
*11/7 Jackson Area Quiz Bowl Addison, MI H
 
*11/7 Lewis and Clark Conference Quiz Bowl Wausa, NE HJ
 
*11/7 Math Relays Mulvane, KS M
 
*11/7 Oberlin High School Invitational Knowledge Bowl Oberlin, KS H
 
*11/7 Safford Knowledge Bowl Safford, AZ H
 
*11/8 Bluegrass Conference Stanton, KY M
 
*11/8 Glendale Scholastic Bowl Glendale, CA H
 
*11/8 Arapahoe Senior High Quiz Bowl Arapahoe, NE H
 
*11/8 West Virginia Science Bowl Virginia H
 
*11/9 Brandon Valley Middle School Tournament Brandon, SD M
 
*11/9 Cass Couinty JH Academic Olympics Hunter, ND JM
 
*11/9 Kremlin Invitational Kremlin, OK H
 
*11/9 Miller Invitational Durango, CO M
 
*11/10 Arkansas City Invitational Scholars Bowl Arkansas City, KS M
 
*11/12 Derby Invitational Derby, KS M
 
*11/12 Silver Lake Academic Competition Bladen, NE E
 
*11/12 Tri Valley Quiz Bowl Colton, SD H
 
*11/12 Wayne County Academic Challenge League Wooster, OH H
 
*11/13 Andover Invitational Andover, KS M
 
*11/13 Lincoln Northeast High School Quiz Bowl Lincoln, NE H
 
*11/13 Pioneer League Hutchinson, KS M
 
*11/13 Residential College Academic Tournament Murray, KY C
 
*11/14 AMI Quiz Bowl Seward, NE M
 
*11/14 ESD $105 Invitational Yakima, WA H
 
*11/14 ESD #113 Knowledge Bowl Westport, WA H
 
*11/14 Holdredge JH Quiz Bowl Holdrege, NE JM
 
*11/14 Safford Invitational Mid School Knowledge Bowl Safford, AZ M
 
*11/15 Arkansas Valley Knowledge Bowl League Pueblo, CO H
 
*11/15 Highland Invitational Ault, CO H
 
*11/15 TVC Middle School Quiz Bowl Harvard, NE M
 
*11/15 West Central PTO Quiz Bowl Invitational Hartford, SD H
 
*11/16 BGSU Firelands Academic Challenge Huron, OH H
 
*11/16 Cheraw Knowledge Bowl Cheraw, CO H
 
*11/16 MESAC Academic Games Dubai HJ
 
*11/16 Ohio Cardinal Conference Orrville, OH H
 
*11/17 Eisenhower Invitational Goddard, KS M
 
*11/17 Pima Invitational Knowledge Bowl Pima, AZ M
 
*11/17 Southwest Washington Regional Knowledge Bowl Camas, WA H
 
*11/18 Academic Challenge Eastville,VA M
 
*11/19 Cambridge Senior High Quiz Bowl Cambridge, NE H
 
*11/19 Westphalia Invitational Westphalia, KS E
 
*11/20 Vilas Invitational Vilas, CO H
 
*11/22 Geography Bee Tuscumbia, AL ME
 
*11/23 Ashland County - Mohican Conference Loudonville, OH H
 
*11/23 CrossRoads Conferencee Quiz Bowl Dorchester, NE JM
 
*11/23 Mohican Conference Loudonville, OH H
 
*11/23 Tulsa Public Schools Middle Level Academic Bowl Tulsa, OK M
 
*11/23 Williams County Elementary Quiz Bowl Archbald, OH E
 
*11/26 Cambridge Junior High Quiz Bowl Cambridge, NE JM
 
*11/26 North Central Regional Knowledge Bowl Wenatchee, WA H
 
*11/27 Orpmwppd Academic Competition Ironwood, MI M
 
*11/30 Eads Invitational Knowledge Bowl Eads, CO M
 
*12/1 Blue Water High School Quiz Bowl Port Huron, MI H
 
*12/1 Highland Invitational Ault, CO H
 
*12/1 Mountain Range Knowledge Bowl Westminster, CO H
 
*12/1 ORES Academic State Tournament Peggs, OK M
 
*12/1 Regional Quiz Bowl Stony Brook, NY H
 
*12/3 Mancos Knowledge Bowl Mancos, CO HM
 
*12/3 Portsmouth Middle School Academic Challenge Portsmouth, VA M
 
*12/3 Ridgway Knowledge Bowl Ridgway, CO HM
 
*12/5 Bisbee Knowledge Bowl Bisbee, AZ H
 
*12/5 Campo Knowledge Bowl Campo, CO M
 
*12/5 Eustis Farnham Junior High Quiz Bowl Eustis, NE M
 
*12/5 Greybull Knowledge Bowl Greybull, WY H
 
*12/5 LCPS Fall Knowledge Bowl Las Cruces, NM M
 
*12/5 MTI/DWU On Air Quiz Bowl Mitchell, SD H
 
*12/5 Zion S.C.O.R.E. Competition Stilwell, OK M
 
*12/7 Lakota Nation Invitational Tournament Lower Brule, SD H
 
*12/7 MAC Scholastic Bowl Celina, OH H
 
*12/7 News Channel Three Knowledge Bowl Memphis, TN H
 
*12/8 Cloquet Schools Knowledge Bowl Cloquet, MN HJM
 
*12/8 Lakota Nationa Invitational Tournament Lower Brule, SD H
 
*12/8 Richland County High School Tournament Mansfield, OH H
 
*12/10 ACGC Invitational Grove City, MN H
 
*12/12 Escalante Invitational Durango, CO M
 
*12/12 Franklin Junior High Quiz Bowl Franklin, NE M
 
*12/12 *Knowledge Master Open Everywhere HJM
 
*12/12 NCL League at Smith Center Norton,KS H
 
*12/12 Sacred Heart Academic Competition Salina, KS H
 
*12/13 Elwood Junior High Quiz Bowl Elwood, NE M
 
*12/14 Olympic ESD #114 Academic Tournament Bremerton, WA H
 
*12/15 Cortez Knowledge Bowl Tournament Cortez, CO H
 
*12/15 Elkhorn Quiz Bowl Elkhorn, NE H
 
*12/15 Northern Colorado Megamind Knowledge Bowl Thompson Valley, CO H
 
*12/16 Silver Lake Academic Compeetition Bladen, NE HJM
 
*12/17 Briggs SCORE Tahlequah, OK M
 
*12/17 Portsmouth Middle School Academic Challenge Portsmouth, VA M
 
*12/19 North Park Invitational Brain Bowl Walden, CO ME
 
*1/5 Laq qui Parle Invitational Madison, MN HJM
 
*1/5 Stigler Brain Bowl Stigler, OK H
 
*1/7 Academic Challenge Canton, OH H
 
*1/7 High School League Scholar Bowl Tourney Oxford, KS H
 
*1/9 St. David Knowledge Bowl St. David, AZ H
 
*1/10 Knowledge Bowl Hibbing, MN HJ
 
*1/10 Laurens Mini Bowl Laurens, SC M
 
*1/10 Southern Valley Jr. High Quiz Bowl Holdredge, NE JM
 
*1/11 Academic Quiz Bowl Pottstown, PA H
 
*1/11 CMC Conference Eden Valley, MN H
 
*1/11 Eads Invitational Knowledge Bowl Eads, CO H
 
*1/11 North Canton Middle School Academic Challenge North Canton, OH M
 
*1/11 Olympic ESD #114 Academic Tournament Bremerton, WA H
 
*1/12 Council Grove Invitational Scholars Bowl Council Grove, KS H
 
*1/12 Mountain Range Knowledge Bowl Westminster, CO H
 
*1/12 Northern Colorado Megamind Knowledge Bowl Fossil Ridge, CO H
 
*1/12 Optimist North Region Brain Bowl Lakewood, CO M
 
*1/12 Patriot League Eaton, CO H
 
*1/12 St. Xavier Middle School Tournament Louisville, KY M
 
*1/14 Batesville Academic TeamMeet Batesville,IN ME
 
*1/14 Ignacio Invitational Knowledge Bowl Ignacio, CO HME
 
*1/14 Portsmouth Middle School Academic Challenge Portsmouth, VA M
 
*1/15 Norwood Invitational Knowledge Bowl Norwood, CO H
 
*1/15 Pride of Iowa Academic Quiz Bowl Leon, IA H
 
*1/15 Wyoming Academic Challenge Sheridan, WY H
 
*1/17 Academic Bowl Easton, MO M
 
*1/17 Academic Olympics Dayton, NV H
 
*1/18 Westport Knowledge Bowl Westport, WA M
 
*1/18 Polk County League History Bowl Walnut Grove, MO H
 
*1/19 Colorado 7 League Knowledge Bowl Keensburg, CO H
 
*1/19 Dawson-Boyd Knowledge Bowl Meet Dawson, MN HJM
 
*1/22 Blue Hill Academic Competition Blue Hill, NE E
 
*1/23 *Knowledge Master Open (5th and 6th grade) Everywhere ME Academic Hallmarks
 
*1/23 Republican Plains Activity Conference Bartley, NE H
 
*1/24 Laurens Mini Bowl Laurens, SC M
 
*1/24 Mississippi 8 Conference KnowledgeBowl Big Lake, MN H
 
*1/25 25th Annual Springfield Knowledge Bowl Springfield, CO H
 
*1/25 AcademicChallenge Eighth Lansford, PA M
 
*1/25 Brandon Valley High School Tournament Brandon, SD H
 
*1/25 Dolores Knowledge Bowl Dolores, CO HJM
 
*1/25 WKCTC Tournament Paducah, KY H
 
*1/26 AISB Knowledge Bowl Exchange Budapest, Hungary H
 
*1/26 CCESC Academic Tournament Lisbon, OH H
 
*1/26 Hamblen County Academic Tournament Morristown, TN M
 
*1/26 LCPS Knowledge Bowl Las Cruces, NM ME
 
*1/26 Northern Colorado Megamind Knowledge Bowl Roosevelt, CO H
 
*1/26 Optimist Central Region Brain Bowl Lakewood, CO M
 
*1/26 Patriot League Eaton, CO H
 
*1/27 *Charter Oak Scholastic Open [[Darien]], CT JM Kenneth Romeo
 
*1/28 Bertrand Junior High Quiz Bowl Bertrand, NE JM
 
*1/28 Dell Rapids Invitational Quiz Bowl Dell Rapids, SD H
 
*1/28 Dove Creek Knowledge Bowl Dove Creek, CO HM
 
*1/29 Lawrence Nelson JH Invite Nelson, NE M
 
*1/30 ESU #16 Middle School Quiz Bowl Ogallala, NE ME
 
*1/31 Academic Fair Georgetown, SC E
 
*1/31 Academic Quiz League Arlington, TX H
 
*1/31 Arkansas Valley Knowledge Bowl League Pueblo, CO H
 
*1/31 Sangre de Cristo Knowledge Bowl Hooper, CO M
 
*1/31 WGEM AcademicCompetition Quincy, IL H
 
*2/1 CEESA High School Knowledge Bowl Zagreb, Croatia H
 
*2/1 DODDS Academic Games Hambachtal Germany H
 
*2/1 Fruita-Monument Knowledge Bowl Meet Fruita, CO H
 
*2/1 McClave Invitational McClave, CO H
 
*2/1 Skookumchuck Knowledge Bowl League Centralia, WA JM
 
*2/2 Lucky Lindy Invitational Little Falls, MN HJ
 
*2/2 Kentucky Collegiate Quick Recall League Lexington, KY C
 
*2/2 Miller Invitational Knowledge Bowl Durango, CO ME
 
*2/2 North Branch Knowledge Bowl North Branch, MN H
 
*2/2 Patriot League Brush, CO H
 
*2/4 Apollo Knowledge Bowl St. Cloud, MN H
 
*2/4 Bertrand Senior High Quiz Bowl Bertrand, NE H
 
*2/5 West Deanery Academic Challenge Indianapolis, IN ME
 
*2/6 Academic Olympics Dayton, NV H
 
*2/6 Brain Bowl Rifle, CO ME
 
*2/6 District Spring Meet Coatesville, PA M
 
*2/6 Duncan Knowledge Bowl Duncan, AZ JM
 
*2/6 Monte Vista Invitational Knowledge Bowl Monte Vista, CO M
 
*2/6 Oberlin Junior High Invitational Knowledge Bowl Oberlin, KS JM
 
*2/6 Rush City Knowledge Bowl Rush City, MN H
 
*2/6 West Grand Brain Bowl Kremmling, CO M
 
*2/6 Willmar Invitational Willmar, MN HJM
 
*2/6 YWKC League Knowledge Bowl Seibert, CO HJM
 
*2/7 ABSH Knowledge Bowl Honduras HJ
 
*2/7 CEESA High School Tournament Moscow, Russia H
 
*2/7 Laurens Mini Bowl Laurens, SC M
 
*2/8 ESU #11 Junior High Quiz Bowl Holdrege, NE JM
 
*2/8 Olympic ESD #114 Academic Tournament Bremerton, WA H
 
*2/9 Granite Ridge Conference Meet Foley, MN H
 
*2/9 New Century Academy Knowledge Bowl Hutchinson, MN HJM
 
*2/9 Northern Colorado Megamind Knowledge Bowl Fort Morgan, CO H
 
*2/9 Optimist South Region Brain Bowl Lakewood, CO M
 
*2/9 Palisade Knowledge Bowl Palisade, CO H
 
*2/9 Pre-Subregional Knowledge Bowl St. Cloud, MN H
 
*2/9 Richland County Middle School Tournament Mansfield, OH M
 
*2/9 Tri-County ESC Academic Challenge Wooster, OH H
 
*2/11 Dolores Knowledge Bowl Dolores, CO HM
 
*2/11 Greater Sioux Falls Home School Knowledge Bowl Sioux Falls, SD H
 
*2/11 North Central League Knowledge Bowl Briggsdale, CO H
 
*2/11 Nucla Knowledge Bowl Nucla, CO HM
 
*2/12 Whitefish Academic Compeetition Whitefish, MT H
 
*2/13 Brain Bowl Rifle, CO ME
 
*2/13 Colbert County Academic Competition Tuscumbia, AL HM
 
*2/13 Jackson County Quiz Bowl League Wellston, OH H
 
*2/13 Tri County League Howell, MI HJ
 
*2/14 Knowledge Bowl Tacoma, WA M
 
*2/14 Pierce County Invitational Knowledge Bowl Tacoma, WA H
 
*2/15 Montrose Invitational Knowledge Bopwl Montrose, CO H
 
*2/15 Paris Quiz Bowl Paris, MO M
 
*2/16 Central Decatur Invitational Leon, IA H
 
*2/16 Colorado State Knowledge Bowl Statewide, CO H
 
*2/16 Glencoe-Silver Lake Invitational Glencoe, MN HM
 
*2/17 ESU #9 Middle School Quiz Bowl Hastings, NE M
 
*2/17 Residential College Academic Tournament Murray, KY C
 
*2/17 Union Pacific League Knowledge Bowl Deer Trail, CO HJM
 
*2/18 Crossroads Conference Quiz Bowl Shickley, NE HJ
 
*2/18 Westphalia Invitational Westphalia, KS M
 
*2/19 [[Benilde|Benilde-St. Margaret's]] Invitational Knowledge Bowl St. Louis Park, MN H
 
*2/20 Brain Bowl Rifle, CO ME
 
*2/20 Custer County Quiz Bowl Broken Bow, NE HJ
 
*2/20 Summersville Scholar Bowl Mt. Vernon, IL ME
 
*2/21 Chanute Scholars Bowl Tournament Chanute, KS M
 
*2/21 Kaiserslauteern District Brain Bowl Germany M
 
*2/21 Laurens Mini Bowl Laurens, SC M
 
*2/21 Scholars Bowl Tournament Chanute, KS M
 
*2/21 Southwest Quiz Bowl Bartley, NE HJM
 
*2/21 Thatcher Invitational Thatcher, AZ H
 
*2/22 Academic Bowl Georgetown,SC HJM
 
*2/22 ACAMIS-ACE Knowledge Bowl, China M
 
*2/22 Anselmo-Merna Quiz Bowl Merna, NE M
 
*2/22 Bayfield Knowledge Bowl Bayfield, CO ME
 
*2/22 GSHL Knowledge Bowl Camas, WA M
 
*2/22 Highland Knowledge Bowl Ault, CO M
 
*2/22 North Carolina State Beta Club Convention Rockingham, NC H
 
*2/23 *Emerald Coast Academic Tournament Fort Walton Beach, FL H Carol Bernich
 
*2/23 ESU #2 Quiz Bowl Wisner, NE H
 
*2/23 Harvard Math Competition Harvard, NE H
 
*2/23 KAEOPP Morehead, KY HM
 
*2/23 Mountain Range Knowledge Bowl Westminster, CO H
 
*2/23 Northern Colorado Megamind Knowledge Bowl Windsor, CO H
 
*2/23 Optimist Championwhip Brain Bowl Lakewood, CO M
 
*2/23 Pleasant Hope Invitational Academic Bowl Pleasant Hope, MO M
 
*2/23 West Georgia RESA Academic Bowl Grantville, GA M
 
*2/23 Perkins County High School Invite Grant, NE H
 
*2/23 Patriot League Sterling, CO H
 
*2/24 ESU #9 High School Quiz Bowl Hastings, NE H
 
*2/24 Mt. Union College-Alliance Kiwanis Club Challenge Alliance, OH H
 
*2/25 Delaware Valley League Meet Easton, KS M
 
*2/25 Mid States Conference Quiz Bowl West Point, NE H
 
*2/25 Williams County Academic Tournament Tiffin, OH J
 
*2/26 District 622 Knowledge Bowl Oakdale, MN M
 
*2/26 Okanogan Knowledge Bowl Okanogan, WA M
 
*2/26 Pella Christian 6th Annual Knowledge Bowl Pella, IA M
 
*2/27 27th Annual Moorhead-Concordia Knowledge Bowl Moorhead, MN H
 
*2/27 Arapahoe Junior High Quiz Bowl Arapahoe, NE JM
 
*2/27 Brain Bowl Rifle, CO ME
 
*2/27 Goldenrod Conference Quiz Bowl Burwell, NE HJM
 
*2/27 Sussex County Interscholastic League Quiz Bowl Hopatcong, NJ H
 
*2/27 Tulsa Academic Bowl Tulsa, OK M
 
*2/17 Woodward Knowledge Bowl Bainbridge Island, WA M
 
*2/28 Academic Bowl Laurens, SC M
 
*2/28 ESD #101 Regional Knowledge Bowl Spokane, WA H
 
*2/28 Hiawatha Scholars Bowl Hiawatha, KS M
 
*2/28 Jefferson County Academic League Amsterdam, OH H
 
*2/28 Junior High Knowledge Bowl Thief River Falls, MN ME
 
*2/28 Mississippi 8 Conference Knowledge Bowl Big Lake, MN H
 
*2/28 San Juan Basin League Championship Ouray, CO H
 
*2/28 Shamrock Quiz Bowl Berrien Springs, MI H
 
*2/28 Sierra Grande Knowledge Bowl Blanca, CO M
 
*2/29 Sanford Knowledge Bowl Sanford, CO JM
 
*3/1 Bellevue University Quiz Bowl Bellevue, NE H
 
*3/1 Coastal Plains Academic Meet Valdosta, GA H
 
*3/1 East Grand Middle School Knowledge Bowl Granby, CO M
 
*3/2 Central High School Knowledge Bowl Scrimmage Grand Junction, CO H
 
*3/2 Coldwater Middle School Quiz Bowl Tournament Coldwateer, OH M
 
*3/2 ISAC Varsity Academic Games Kuwait H
 
*3/2 PSESD Regional Knowledge Bowl Renton, WA H
 
*3/2 West Central Activities Conference Academic Bowl Urbandale, IA H
 
*3/3 ESU #9 Elementary Quiz Bowl Hastings, NE E
 
*3/3 Tollesboro Academic Compeetition Tollesboro, KY H
 
*3/4 Alma Quiz Bowl Alma, NE HJM
 
*3/4 Black Forest League Knowledge Bowl Yoder, CO M
 
*3/4 Canton Middle School Conference Meet Canton, SD M
 
*3/4 EMAC JV Academic Games Cairo, Egypt J
 
*3/4 Kathryn Stoklosa Knowledge Bowl Lowell, MA M
 
*3/4 KK93 Quiz Bowl Yankton, SD H
 
*3/4 Milwaukee North Region Knowledge Bowl Cedarburg, WI ME
 
*3/4 Roosevelt Quiz Bowl Sioux Falls, SD H
 
*3/4 Scholastic Challenge Dubois, PA HJ
 
*3/4 Southern Nebraska Conference Quiz Bowl Utica, NE H
 
*3/4 Stapleton Quiz Bowl Stapleton, NE H
 
*3/4 USD #108 Academic Meet Washington, KS M
 
*3/5 Academic Bowl Easton,MO HJ
 
*3/5 MAJHAA Academic Team Conference Tournament Farmington, MO M
 
*3/5 Maywood High School Quiz Bowl Maywood, NE H
 
*3/5 Sixth Sense Competition Lansford, PA E
 
*3/5 Trailways Conference Academic Bowl Rio, WI H
 
*3/6 Brent International Academic Bowl Philippines H
 
*3/6 ESU #8 Mid School Quiz Bowl Neligh, NE M
 
*3/6 Lawrence Nelson High School Quiz Bowl Nelson, NE H
 
*3/7 O'Gorman Junior High Quiz Bowl Lyons, SD M
 
*3/8 Lamar Knowledge Bowl Lamar, CO M
 
*3/9 CEESA Middle School Tournament Moscow M
 
*3/9 Colegio Maya Knowledge Bowl El Salvador J
 
*3/9 ESU #8 Academic High School Quiz Bowl Neligh, NE H
 
*3/9 Papillon-La Vista Quiz Bowl Papillon, NE H
 
*3/11 Cornbelt Conference Quiz Bowl Freeman, SD JM
 
*3/11 EMC Conference Quiz Bowl NE H
 
*3/11 ESU #3 Regional Elementary Quiz Bowl Omaha, NE E
 
*3/11 High School Conference Quiz Bowl Colton,SD H
 
*3/11 Iroquois County Scholastic Bowl Tournament Donovan, IL H
 
*3/11 Kaiserslautern District Brain Bowl Germany M
 
*3/11 MOVQBL Parkersburg, WV M
 
*3/11 Sandhills Conference Quiz Bowl Stapleton, NE H
 
*3/12 22nd Annual Huron Invitational Quiz Bowl Huron, SD H
 
*3/12 Educational Service Unit #10 Academic Quiz Bowl Kearney, NE HJ
 
*3/12 Nebraska Capitol Conference Syracuse, NE H
 
*3/12 Paxton Quiz Bowl Paxton, NE HJ
 
*3/12 Quiz Bowl Soda Springs, ID M
 
*3/12 South Platte Valley Quiz Bowl North Platte, NE H
 
*3/13 District Spring Meet Coatesville, PA M
 
*3/13 Southwest Montana Academic Olympics Ennis, MT HJ
 
*3/14 ECNC Quiz Bowl Yutan, NE HJM
 
*3/14 Morewnci Knowledge Bowl Morenci, AZ M
 
*3/14 North Tapps Knowledge Bowl Sumner, WA M
 
*3/14 Pioneer Conference Quiz Bowl Odell, NE H
 
*3/16 KSAA Varsity Academic Games Kuwait H
 
*3/18 Big East High School Quiz Bowl Baltic, SD H
 
*3/18 Brady Quiz Bowl Brady, NE H
 
*3/18 Colorado State Knowledge Bowl CO H
 
*3/18 ESU #15 Junior High Quiz Bowl Bartley, NE JME
 
*3/18 Louplatte Conference Quiz Bowl Wood River, NE HJM
 
*3/19 ECOESC Scholastic Challenge New Philadelphia, OH H
 
*3/20 ESU #15 Tournament Bartley, NE HJME
 
*3/20 Franklin Senior High Quiz Bowl Franklin, NE H
 
*3/20 Mudecas Conference Tecumseh, NE HM
 
*3/20 Niobrara Valley Conference Quiz Bowl Bassett, NE H
 
*3/21 Hamilton County Acdemic Tournament Noblesville, IN M
 
*3/21 Pioneer Conference Junior HIgh Quiz Bowl Wymore, NE M
 
*3/22 Belgrade Knowledge Bowl Belgrade, Yugoslavia M
 
*3/22 CEESA Knowledge Bowl St. Petersburg, Russia H
 
*3/22 Centaur Knowledge Bowl La Jara, CO M
 
*3/23 Centennial Knowledge Bowl Montrose, CO M
 
*3/23 ESD #113 Knowledge Bowl Tumwater, WA ME
 
*3/25 Junior Academic Challenge Wooster, Ohio M
 
*3/25 Junior High League Scholar Bowl Tourney Oxford, KS M
 
*3/25 Mid States Conference Quiz Bowl Championship West Point, NE H
 
*3/25 Southern Valley Senior High Quiz Bowl Southern Valley, NE H
 
*3/25 Twin Valley Quiz Bowl Bladen, NE H
 
*3/26 Kearny Quiz Bowl Pleasanton, NE H
 
*3/26 Knowledge Bowl Bellflower, CA M
 
*3/27 Callaway High School Quiz Bowl Callaway, NE H
 
*3/27 Delaware Valley League Tournamemnt Easton, KS M
 
*3/27 ESU #6 Academic Quiz Bowl Milford, NE H
 
*3/28 Washington State Knowledge Bowl Tournament Anacortes, WA H
 
*3/29 21st Annual Rotary Brain Bowl Spring Hill, FL M
 
*3/29 Springfield Invitational Knowledge Bowl Springfield, CO M
 
*3/30 *Knowledge Master Open (5th and 6th grade) Everywhere ME Academic Hallmarks
 
*4/1 Blue Valley League Junior High Tournament Washington, KS M
 
*4/3 Duncan Junior High Knowledge Bowl Championship Duncan, AZ JM
 
*4/3 ESU #6 Academic Quiz Bowl League Milford, NE JM
 
*4/5 Academic Olympics Baker, MT HJM
 
*4/5 Clash of the Brainiacs Lafayette, CO H
 
*4/6 Wyoming Academic Challenge Riverton, WY H
 
*4/7 [[New Hampshire Quiz Bowl League|New Hampshire Quiz Bowl State Championship]] Hanover, NH
 
*4/9 Delta Knowledge Bowl Delta, CO ME
 
*4/10 Southwest Conference Quiz Bowl Broken Bow, NE H
 
*4/12 Callaway Junior High Quiz Bowl Callaway, NE JM
 
*4/12 Coastal Plains Academic Tournament Valdosta, GA H
 
*4/13 Weld Central Brain Bowl Keenesburg, CO M
 
*4/18 Junior Academic Challenge Wooster, OH M
 
*4/19 Scholastic Contest Quiz Bowl Norfolk, NE H
 
*4/22 Lane County ESD Brain Bowl Eugene, OR M
 
*4/24 Academic Olympics Isabel, SD H
 
*4/24 Bighorn Basin Knowledge Bowl Greybull, WY M
 
*4/24 Broward Brain Bowl Competition Ft. Lauderdale, FL H
 
*4/24 *Knowledge Master Open Everywhere HJM Academic Hallmarks
 
*4/25 ESU #11 High School Quiz Bowl Holdrege, NE H
 
*4/25 Nebraska State Quiz Bowl Holdrege, NE H
 
*4/26 Ortega Mid School Knowledge Bowl Alamosa, CO M
 
*4/29 Chester County Knowledge Bowl Exton, PA M
 
*5/3 San Miguel Power Knowledge Bowl Ridgway, CO HJME
 
*5/3 LCPS Middle School Academic Competition Las Cruces, NM M
 
*5/4 Quiz Bowl League Tournament Tiffin, OH M
 
*5/10 Betty Stephens Knowledge Bowl Alamosa, CO M
 
*6/19 [[Montana-Wyoming Academic All Star Championship]] Sheridan, WY H
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Latest revision as of 09:21, 6 January 2022

Academic Hallmarks
Academic hallmarks.png
President or CEO Owner: Pat Jewell
Location: Ohio
Status Open

Academic Hallmarks, abbreviated as AH and sometimes known as The Great Auk or AUK for its mascot, is a software publishing and question writing company historically based in Durango, Colorado. They supply decidedly non-pyramidal questions to a number of invitational tournaments, including Knowledge Bowl events in several states. From 1983 until 2013 they organized the online Knowledge Master Open competition.

Question quality

AH has historically produced questions in which no attempt at following "good quizbowl" principles like pyramidality or avoiding trivia is made. Many questions for the high school sets rely on elementary-school-level knowledge of English grammar and deliberately appear to try to mislead players as to what is even being asked using a variety of swerves and hoses as well as unclear lead-ins and extraneous information. Questions that consisted entirely of lists of various things that players had to identify as well as quotes were common. Wild difficulty swings from question-to-question, limited answer lines, extremely short questions, and confusing syntax can befuddle players and can easily lead to bizarre match outcomes.

A uniquely bad quizbowl feature of AH sets consisted of questions in the form of puns and riddles in which the player must provide the punchline for made-up limericks and ditties in order to "answer" the question. Many questions year-to-year were often either near-verbatim repeats of questions from previous years or on the same pet topics of the author's personal interest, often involving things having to do with Colorado or nearby areas.

See a sample Academic Hallmarks packet from 2010.

History

Former School district superintendent Bill Brown founded Academic Hallmarks in 1982 after working with Colorado Knowledge Bowl for many years. As of June 2020, the original founder stepped down and Pat Jewell took over. During the 2020-2021 school year, AH appeared to supply Questions Unlimited with questions for several events and technical support for QU's online events. A number of previous clients of AH such as the state Knowledge Bowl organizations in Minnesota, Colorado, and Washington switched to using Question Authorities instead.

Events using AH questions

Historically, Academic Hallmarks operated in perhaps even more of an "alternate universe" to the "good quizbowl" scene than Questions Unlimited does, with very little overlap with other quizbowl competitions. The Great Auk had considerable influence on circuits in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with pockets of AH questions usage in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire and several other states. Academic Hallmarks even has (or had) some international clients in Syria, Egypt, Russia, China, and Germany as they appear to market it to international schools.

A list of AH "pristine question users" posted at http://www.greatauk.com/pristineusers.html and maintained through the 2000s contained many tournaments which have in fact switched to NAQT questions over the years. Several other "tournaments" listed on that page have gone defunct. It is unclear if a number of other tournaments and leagues that use AH questions are using pristine questions or instead "custom" question sets of questions from previous years of AH, which are all still sold from AH and updated yearly in a large database. For an example of such a list, see 2012-2013 Academic Hallmarks events.

The full calendar is no longer maintained or linked from the main website as of the 2013-2014 competition year, with a more recent list of events as of Fall 2020 being much shorter than the list below.

External links