Fox Cities News

The Great Midwest Trivia Contest at Lawrence University is set to return for its 60th edition during the final weekend of January. This long-standing tradition, which began in 1966, will take place from January 24-26. The event is led by trivia head master Lawrence Schreiner, a senior majoring in music education and performance (tuba) from Rib Lake, Wisconsin, along with his team of trivia masters.

Schreiner expressed the significance of the contest as an "intergenerational unifier for Lawrentians," noting that it provides a common ground for alumni to share stories. The contest involves between 500 and 800 players across approximately 80 off-campus teams and around 15 on-campus teams. Registration begins at 8 p.m. on the first night.

A unique aspect of this event is its starting time—37 seconds past 10 p.m. on Friday—which is one of its many traditions. It kicks off with last year’s Super Garuda question and concludes with this year's Super Garuda at midnight Sunday after more than 300 questions have been asked.

The contest has evolved over recent years, moving to Twitch streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining many traditional elements. This year includes new visual components such as photo questions paired with images displayed on Twitch.

“The hope is to have a greater variety of questions that allow the TMs to use even more unique paths to and through obscure internet wackiness while mixing things up for players,” Schreiner said.

Reflecting on his role, Schreiner mentioned how he was drawn into being a trivia master by previous participants and highlighted the community spirit fostered by the event: “I feel like our contest is deeply infused with community, support, empathy, and understanding.”

Schreiner also emphasized how past participants have adapted to changes over time: “We’re really on the cutting edge of what a trivia contest can look like.” He added that future innovations are anticipated as each new group takes charge.