January 28, 2015

 News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The dates are set for the sixth annual West Virginia History Bowl regional and state competitions. Sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, all eighth- grade history buffs are invited to showcase their knowledge of West Virginia and participate in the 2015 History Bowl.

Designed to test students’ knowledge on all things West Virginia including culture, geography, government, history, literature and sports, the eight regional matches are scheduled to take place from Feb. 6 to March 7.  Eighth-graders in public, private and home-schooled education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams in double-elimination tournament play. The winner and runner-up teams are invited to the tournament championship at the Culture Center in Charleston on Tuesday, May 5.

Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith said, “This competition has grown exponentially with both students and teachers expressing their enjoyment and enthusiastic support. The students learn new and interesting facts about our state that they can apply to other fields of study.”

During the competition, students will answer questions compiled by the division’s Archives and History Section staff members. In preparation for competition, teams are encouraged to review the Daily Trivia, Quick Quizzes, and Golden Horseshoe study guides. These can be found on the Archives and History Section’s website, www.wvculture.org/history.

The regional tournament dates and sites are as follows:

Friday, Feb. 6, at West Virginia Independence Hall, Wheeling, Ohio County. Region VI includes schools in Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, and Wetzel counties.
Saturday, Feb. 7, at Sandy River Middle School, Avondale, McDowell County. Region I includes schools in McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming counties.
Friday, Feb. 13, at The Culture Center, Charleston, Kanawha County. Region III includes schools in Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam counties.
Friday, Feb. 20, at Summersville Middle School, Summersville, Nicholas County. Region IV includes schools in Braxton, Fayette, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Pocahontas and Webster counties.
Saturday, Feb. 21, at Milton Middle School, Milton, Cabell County. Region II includes schools in Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo and Wayne counties.
Friday, Feb. 27, at Romney Middle School, Romney, Hampshire County. Region VIII includes schools in Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties.
Saturday, Feb. 28, at Edison Middle School, Parkersburg, Wood County. Region V includes schools in Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties.
Saturday, March 7, at Bridgeport Middle School, Bridgeport, Harrison County. Region VII includes schools in Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur counties.
Saturday, March 21, Play-In Tournament at Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School, Buckhannon, Upshur County. The Play-In Tournament is held to accommodate schools that are unable to compete in their regional round because of inclement weather and school closings.  It also is open to all schools throughout the state that want a second chance.

General information about the History Bowl can be found at www.wvculture.org/history/historybowl.html or by contacting Matt McGrew, tournament director and education coordinator for archives and history, at matt.mcgrew@wv.gov or (304) 558-0230.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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