News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. The dates are set for the fifth annual West Virginia History Bowl 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 2014 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 January 31 to March 1.  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 April 29.

Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith says, “This is the fifth year for the tournaments and we are delighted by how excited students are to participate in the competitions. They discover how interesting our state is as they prepare for these events.”

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:

Region I: Feb. 8 at Summers Middle School, Hinton, Summers County. Region I includes schools in McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming counties.

Region II: Feb. 22 at Milton Middle School, Milton, Cabell County. Region II includes schools in Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo and Wayne counties.

Region III: Feb. 14 at The Culture Center, Charleston, Kanawha County. Region III includes schools in Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Region IV: Feb. 7 at Summersville Middle School, Summersville, Nicholas County. Region IV includes schools in Braxton, Fayette, Greenbrier, Nicholas, Pocahontas and Webster counties.

Region V: Feb. 1 at Pleasants County Middle School, Belmont, Pleasants County. Region V includes schools in Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt and Wood counties.

Region VI: Jan. 31 at West Virginia Independence Hall, Wheeling, Ohio County. Region VI includes schools in Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, and Wetzel counties.

Region VII: March 1 at Bridgeport Middle School, Bridgeport, Harrison County. Region VII includes schools in Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Tayler, Tucker and Upshur counties.

Region VIII: Feb. 28 at Romney Middle School, Romney, Hampshire County. Region VIII includes schools in Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties.

General information about the History Bowl can be found at www.wvculture.org/history/historybowl.html or by contacting Debra Basham, assistant director of archives and history, at debra.a.basham@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.

– 30 –