Ben Smith

Ben Smith
Noted subjects	science, John Steinbeck
Past colleges	Ottawa (2004-2010)
High school	Merivale (2000-2003)
HSQB profile	bsmith
Stats	HDWhite • NAQT

Ben Smith is a graduate of the University of Ottawa. He was an important influence in the development of quizbowl in Canada and Ottawa in particular, and continues to be active and invaluable in the Canadian quizbowl scene.

Career

Middle School

Smith played one game of "Brain Bowl" at the American School in Japan in seventh grade, and didn't like it.

Reach for the Top

Ben Smith was an alternate at city and provincials for the 2000 Merivale team, giving him a thin slice of a claim for the Reach for the Top championship. He was still an alternate in 2002, but played one game of playoffs at provincials in 2003 and lost.

After putting up posters and handing out information papers about the first Ottawa Quizbowl Tournament to teams at the 2005 provincials, Smith was ordered to stop by Reach directors. Thinking nothing of it, he later found out he was barred from being a spectator at the 2006 city matches, making him possibly the only person blacklisted by Reach for the Top. Smith has been resentful of Reach ever since.

During the Ontario provincial teacher's strike in 2013, Smith took the position of Reach coordinator.

SmartAsk!

Smith was part of the 2003 Merivale team that won SmartAsk! and all the shame that comes with it.

Quizbowl

Smith helped establish a club at Ottawa in his first year of university. He directed four tournaments in his second year, including the first Ottawa Hybrid Tournament. He appeared at the ICT twice, finishing low both times, and his only tournament victory was one at VETO. He also organized the high school Ottawa Quizbowl Tournament. Ben staffed almost every single quizbowl tournament in Ottawa, but did not go out of his way to play or staff tournaments. Ben occasionally plays tournaments, especially trash tournaments.