Sarah Dygert hosts trivia the week of St. Patrick’s day 2019 at The District PourHouse. Courtesy of Sarah Dygert
With Ohio residents at home for the foreseeable future, some still plan on getting their fix of bar trivia every Monday night.
Due to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order, effective as of 11:59 p.m. Monday, trivia host Sarah Dygert, more commonly known as Sarah D, said she will continue her trivia nights virtually.
On Monday nights, Dygert typically hosts trivia shows for trivia website Sporcle at Cazuela’s Grill at Gateway, where she said about 70 people attend each week to play trivia and enjoy a drink, dinner and night out with friends.
In order for players to continue getting practice, keep a routine, stay engaged and have a mental break, Dygert said she will offer an online trivia option to preserve the community she has built as a trivia host.
“It’s a night to kind of come together, forget about all the stress and about everything that’s happening in the world right now,” Dygert said.
Through a Google Doc link posted on her professional Facebook page, Dygert said participants will have access to various rounds of trivia questions while she hosts on a Facebook Live stream, providing countdowns for each question and playing music requests throughout.
Dygert said she plans to keep the virtual two-hour trivia session as close to the in-person experience as possible.
Although this method will make it difficult for Dygert to keep a perfect score of everyone’s points, she said she hopes her trivia sessions are a source of entertainment and fun for the participants at home in quarantine.
“It’s a highlight in their day, which right now, people probably really look forward to something to highlight their day,” Dygert said.
Meredith Miller, one of Dygert’s regular participants and a law student at Ohio State, said she felt she had lost a treasured part of her weekly routine with the closing of Cazuela’s due to DeWine’s order closing dine-in restaurant services March 15.
“It’s just an opportunity to engage with other people and especially when everybody’s isolated,” Miller said. “It’s just a different way to be a little distracted from what’s going on.”
Miller said it’s nice to see Dygert making an effort to keep trivia going so her audience can socialize and stay sharp from home.
Cheyenne Fenstemaker, another trivia player, said she will miss the competitive aspect of attending trivia in person and playing against other teams, but will still participate and encourage her friends to join her online.
“For a lot of people that are regulars, it’s kind of a part of their evening weeknight routine,” Fenstemaker said. “It’s always a staple thing that you can do on a weeknight, and I really think during this time where a lot of us are mostly spending time at home, it’s really good to still keep a part of your routine.”
Fenstemaker said she will miss having a reason to leave the house and go out with her friends but will use trivia as a time to enjoy herself from home.
With this transition, Dygert said she is excited to include her audience and maintain the relationships she has formed with many of her participants, as well as meet new people and attract new players.
“I think through this really unknown time right now of how everything’s gonna happen and how long it’s gonna take to get back to normal, I just want to thank all my players for their continued support,” Dygert said.
Dygert will host her first virtual trivia night Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. The following trivia nights will be held Mondays at a time yet to be determined, based on players’ availability. Those interested in participating can visit the Trivia Nights with Sarah D Facebook page.
