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Trivia Night Takes Over Syracuse Trivia Night Takes Over Syracuse

Trivia host Sean Donlon explains how his role in trivia night has evolved.

By Drew VonScio

Trivia
© 2024 Drew VonScio

DREW VONSCIO: Twenty-six-year-old Sean Donlon has worked as a trivia host for three years as a part-time job. During the day, he works as a mentor for those with special needs and is also a freelance photographer. Trivia has been a big part of his life for going on 10 years now, and he says being able to be on the other side after seven years of playing is an incredible experience.

SEAN DONLON: “I actually write questions for one of the days a week, so it’s cool I get to contribute my own
take or taste onto the games, but it is really cool having it be a full-circle moment.”

VONSCIO: Trivia nights are full of laughs and having a good time, but they get enhanced by having a good host. Hosts have to entertain the crowd in addition to providing the questions to participants. Like most things in life, Donlon says being able to find the right balance becomes second nature after doing it for a while.

DONLON: “I don’t really overthink it, you know, it kind of comes naturally at this point after three years.
Don’t take yourself too seriously, don’t take the game too seriously. It is a game, you know,
and people do really like it. They get competitive, and that’s all fun.”

VONSCIO: Donlon adds that as the trivia nights continue to grow, the sky is the limit with how big this event can become in Syracuse. Reporting from The Tasting Room, I’m Drew VonScio for NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –  Trivia nights put your knowledge to the test with questions ranging from geography to sports nicknames to art history.

The Tasting Room hosts trivia night every Tuesday for regulars and first-time customers to show off quirky facts stored in their brains. After playing at The Tasting Room for seven years, Sean Donlon is now a host and gets to use his knowledge in a different way than before.

“I actually write questions for one of the days a week, so it’s cool I get to contribute my own take or taste onto the games,” said Donlon. “But it is really cool having it be a full-circle moment.”

Trivia hosts are in a unique position in that they have to entertain the audience in addition to asking the questions. Being able to entertain involves music selection and having a personality that gets everyone in the room laughing, even the person who had the worst day at work. Each of these components takes time to master, and a balance between the two separates the good hosts from the bad.

“I don’t really overthink it, you know, it kind of comes naturally at this point after three years,” said Donlon. “Don’t take yourself too seriously, don’t take the game too seriously. It is a game, you know, and people do really like it. They get competitive, and that’s all fun.”

The Tasting Room’s trivia night is a way to have some friendly fun with happy hour food, drink specials and enjoying a night out with your friends or family.

 

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