By Chaitra Somasundar, Staff Writer
T-Birds streamed into the Pub at Thunderbird the last two weeks for Trivia Nights – each hosted by our very own accounting and marketing professors: Graeme Rankine and Seigyoung Auh! Kevin Roos (MGM ’16, US) and Patrick Shields (MAGAM ’17, US) came up with the idea of hosting the event with the help of guest professors. “It is a good opportunity to have fun outside of class with our professors, allowing us to gain a more personal relationship,” stated Tomás Thomas (MAGAM ’17, Mexico). “The Old Dirty Bastard” team bagged the champions’ belt on the first Pub Trivia of the semester and the “Fifth P” team triumphed in the next Pub Trivia Night.
Prof. Graeme Rankine (photo courtesy of thunderbird.edu)
With Prof. Rankine being the quiz master for the first Trivia Night, he started off with some simple questions about Australia, but the questions got progressively more complicated. When asked about his experience hosting this event, Prof. Rankine said, “I had a lot of fun. The three teams were well matched and it came down to some tie-breaker questions. A fun evening lubricated with some adult beverages.”
Prof. Seigyoung Auh (photo courtesy of thunderbird.edu)
The second trivia night was hosted by Prof. Auh with a base of global marketing questions. “It went well and was a fun experience. The only thing I would add to that is if more students could attend, it would have been so much more exciting. I understand that there were students taking classes during that time, but if there is a way where more participation can be encouraged, it would make the atmosphere that much more exciting,” he stated when asked about his thoughts on being the quiz master.
Kevin says that the most difficult part about organizing the event is finding a suitable day and time. There are a multiple factors that influence this decision, such as keeping a tab on class schedules, recruiting events, class activities and finding a fitting time for the host. He stated that it is challenging to find a time that works for everyone, but the organizers do their best. There has been an increase in the turn out since the first guest professor (Rankine) hosted because word gets out about how much fun the professors have. “The most interesting part is watching professors drop loads of information on students that are outside of their area of expertise. Everyone has the opportunity to learn something new while talking with professors on a more personal level. This is what brings students in, and we plan to see a major increase in student participation this semester,” he said.
With this week’s Trivia night being hosted by Prof. Bowen, more T-birds can be expected to gather at the Pub for an enjoyable learning experience over drinks. It is about time we actively started being a part of this #tbirdlife experience!