Re: Kleist and the use of reference work

Durham_Devil · Tue, 12 Sep 2000 11:55:59 -0700

So sayeth Nathan:

"Something which had
puzzled me is why in QB Kleist is always equated with
Michael Kolhaas as the giveaway and why that is the only
Kleist work ever asked."

Usually, the cynical
nature within me looks at something within quizbowl and
determines that one of five things is true:

(1) It's
CBI's fault.
(2) It's ACF's fault.
(3) It's
NAQT's fault.
(4) It's Maryland's fault.
(5) It's
Benet's fault.

Once I've eliminated these usual
suspects, I actually consider the question more
thoroughly.

The reason I bring this up is because, at least as
far as it has entered my consciousness, the
Kohlhaas-Kleist connection *is* Maryland's fault.

Here's
the story: On April 1, 1999, Maryland published an
April Fool's joke saying that a splinter faction of
theirs had taken over and re-affiliated the school with
CBI. Among the reasons cited by the article was this
(obviously contrived) incident within practice.

At a
freshman practice, the question ended with "...author of
Michael Kohlhaas" and went unanswered. A veteran at the
practice (whose name I can't remember but who I believe I
recognized as having been at Colorado at some point)
chastised the freshmen for not knowing a categorical list
of every work by Kleist and demanded that they
memorize that section of Benet's for the next time. Then,
a freshman stumbled upon the white-and-yellow, and
described actually having heard of the answers, such as
'banana' (the curved yellow fruit question).

The
incident ends with the freshman being interviewed, and
saying, "I bet Kleist ate bananas."

This was the
first time I had heard of Kleist. That connection
enabled me to learn Michael Kohlhaas and get it at ACF
Nationals. Now, I know of a second work of his (yay), and
thus it builds upon itself. All starting with a little
self-deprecating work the Maryland team foisted upon
us.

Andy Goss