Trivia Night lets students test themselves for charity

Art+by+Kayla+Johnson

Art by Kayla Johnson

Yearbook superlatives. Fake news. Social justice. What do these topics have in common? These diverse ideas were all question topics at last year’s Trivia Night.

Trivia Night is an annual event where students answer trivia questions, benefit a good cause and have fun with their friends. Trivia Night is Saturday, April 21 from six to eight p.m. in Querbes Hall. The cost to attend is $5, which will benefit the Pencils of Promise Club.

This is Justice League’s fifth Trivia Night, and the event continues to change every year.

“We are switching [causes] because we made enough for a full high school scholarship for Loreen Adiahambo,” said Ms. Emily Egan, Justice League leader and Campus Minister. “Jason Wilhite, as a result of his experience at Trivia Night, decided to start a Pencils of Promise Club at Saint Louis University. The Pencils of Promise Club, like the Dago Scholarship Fund, provides access to education for children around the world.”

Wilhite was inspired by The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun.

“I came back home at the end of my first year wondering how I could incorporate working for a better world into my career in business,” said Wilhite ’15. “The book was a huge motivator for me…Adam started Pencils of Promise by himself with $25, and just over nine years later, the organization has now built 429 schools and is currently educating 74,503 students. I decided that if Adam can make that big of an impact by believing so deeply in his mission, I can make a significant difference too.”

Students can share in making a difference through attending Trivia Night.

“Trivia Night is a great way to learn about situations outside our own. It is super fun and super informative,” said junior Kiana Resch.

“Another reason to go is it is a very easy way to make a difference in the life of someone you may never meet,” said Ms. Egan. “Just by having fun with your friends you can give a person access to education who otherwise may not be able to go to school. There are 60 million primary age school children without access to education.”

“Trivia Night offers extra credit in religion class and a fun time to hang out with friends,” said senior Drake Imhoff.

To prepare for the event, students can start forming trivia teams.

“Students can make teams of up to ten,” said Ms. Egan. “People could make a team with their sports team or have a theme for their team with matching t-shirts. Students will also earn two service hours.”

Trivia Night in partnership with Pencils of Promise are working to make long lasting changes and educational opportunities in communities around the world.

“Pencils of Promise’s mission is especially important because the organization commits to sustainable community development via building relationships with members from each community they work with,” said Wilhite. “In many cases, organizations focus on what they can provide to communities rather than listening to what the community wants and needs. When working for long-term systemic change, I wholeheartedly believe that you must listen and build relationships with communities to make the difference you dream of making, and that is precisely what Pencils of Promise does.”