The Iowa History Center Distinguished Scholars host their second annual Iowa Jeopardy Contest on Feb. 16.

The contest will take place at 7 p.m. in the Principal Black Box at Kent Campus Center. Teams of three or four students will be tested on their knowledge of Iowa history and pop culture.

“We decided to do a jeopardy contest as a way to directly engage the Simpson students,” said Britney Samuelson, undergraduate assistant for the Iowa History Center. “The jeapordy contest is specifically for students to learn about Iowa history, and the contest is designed in a way to be the most interesting to people our age.”

Prizes include $50 for each member for first place, $25 for each member of second place and the third place will win $10 gift cards to Holy Grounds.

IHC scholars Robert Lyons and Brandon Herring will be leading the event. They will be researching Iowa’s historical people, places and events and turning them into jeopardy-style questions.

“Students should participate not only for the prizes, which are very nice, but also for the fun they can have with their friends,” Lyons said. “If they learn a little Iowa history along the way, that’s all the better.”

The Iowa History Center Distinguished Scholars program is a scholarship opportunity for incoming Simpson students. Each year, five incoming students are awarded the scholarship.

Throughout their time at Simpson, the scholars organize a variety of activities for the Iowa History Center, including conducting research for projects that arise, hosting on-campus speakers each semester and developing the Iowa Jeopardy contest. Freshmen can apply by going to http://simpson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/6830-2016IHCScholarsApp.pdf.

Anyone who is interested in registering for the jeopardy contest can email [email protected].

Current scholars are Lyons, Herring, Madison Wirth and Mallory Hanson.

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