They huddled around a single sheet of paper, murmuring to each other in low voices. Without a glance at the other groups of people around them, they debated the names of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's twins, what marshmallow shape Lucky Charms introduced in 1992 and how many legs an adult butterfly has.

Locals and college students cheered. Some even got up from their seats and threw their arms in the air when hearing the answers they got right. Some made shouts of dismay at the ones they got wrong.

Trivia Night at Uisce Irish Pub usually creates this much excitement, even in the summer weather, as locals, travelers and sometimes college professors battle for the best score every Tuesday night from 8 to 10 p.m., said James Gillies, one of the quizmasters who writes the trivia quizzes.

"It’s good general knowledg,e and people get really excited," Gillies said. "I was shocked in how into it I got. The questions are familiar that you think you just about have them, but they can fool you. It’s having a lot of fun while being educated and tormented at the same time."

Gillies and his nephew Eric Bute took over the quiz writing six months ago after playing for the past two years, and they rotate every week in writing the quizzes for the trivia night, he said.

Bar co-owner Molly McGarry said trivia nights at Irish pubs are a tradition, and are especially popular on the East Coast as well as in Australia and Europe. She said every Irish bar she has worked in has held trivia nights, so she and her husband decided to hold a similar event at Uisce.

"It’s sort of a niche we have, and we love it," McGarry said.

Teams would write the quizzes in the past, but later McGarry asked Gillies and Bute to take over the event after noticing how dedicated they were to the game, she said.

The quizzes usually consist of 50 questions with 10 different subjects such as cereal, specific animals, world capitals or car models, Gillies said. Occasionally there will be a 51st question involving a common thread among the last five questions, a theme competitors have to figure out. Teams can range from two to six people, or one person can play, and each competitor contributes $1 to a pot, which is given to the first place winner, he said. The pub will match the total amount of the pot and divide that amount between the second and third place winners.

Western graduate John Wilkins said he has been coming to the trivia night for the past year although he doesn’t play to get the money.

"It’s a good way to hang out with friends and have fun with useless knowledge," Wilkins said. "I’m not really in it to win."

When a large amount of people attend the event, the pot can seem more appealing, though Gillies said he believes the competition is what trivia players are after rather than the money.

"I’ve found most people just come to play the game," Gillies said. "I don’t think anyone is in it for the money. Seeing the joy it brings to people, it’s not like watching television or listening to a radio. It’s people interacting, and that’s what’s important to me. "

Western senior Stefani Sager said it was her first time playing trivia at the pub and she enjoyed the random nature of the question topics. She said she hopes to play again and make the event a regular occurrence for her and her friends.

 "We will make it happen," Sager said. "We have to make it happen. I think it will be funny to have the students versus the professors."

Gillies said it’s quite a feat to come up with 50 questions that can challenge and entertain competitors, though he feels he is able to educate trivia players in a way that is enjoyable and positive.

"I try to make my quiz entertaining and educational," Gillies said. "That’s why I do it. The types of questions are for when people walk away, they have a better knowledge of the world they live in. There’s never any feeling of humiliation, and people are pretty engaged for the whole process."

During the academic year, Trivia Night packs the pub with 85 to 100 people, and competitors come at least an hour early to reserve a table. During the summer the event still draws at least 40 to 50 people, Gillies said.

Gillies said occasionally college professors will attend the trivia night, though not as often as in the past as the crowd has become a lot more diverse over time.

Bute said he often hears debate over his questions from the professors but he feels debating the questions is part of the game.

"They are the first ones to chastise my fact checking," Bute said. "There are usually one to two questions that get heat, but yelling out and debating about trivia is having a good time. It’s fun to debate them and not take it too seriously at the same time."

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