KaleidoQuiz, the annual 26-hour trivia marathon hosted by Iowa State’s radio station, KURE 88.5 FM, begins Friday, and the contest’s devotees are ready for the challenge.

“We already have about 150 books from the library and several computers set up in our parlor,” says Dan Burke, senior in computer engineering and three-year Kaleidoquiz veteran. “It’s our headquarters — the center of operation.”

Participants listen to the radio station to complete tasks, answer questions, and perform scavenger hunts.

This year’s event will host 17 teams, the most seen in several years, says Carl Adams, KaleidoQuiz director.

“Most teams are returning but there are a few [new ones],” Adams says. “It’s a lot of fun on [KURE’s end] as well as theirs.”

The main KaleidoQuiz event is the trivia contest, in which a question is announced over the radio every six minutes, Adams says. The teams only have a few minutes before an alarm sounds and answers must be called in.

“We do the trivia throughout the night,” he says. “Points are awarded for each correct answer and so many points are given for the numerous activities throughout the marathon.”

Other categories include a music and movie montage, in which several songs and movie quotes are played and teams name the title of the song or movie and who sings the song or says the quote.

A random events section requires members to participate in any number of events at the KURE office, 1199 Friley Hall, as well as a scavenger hunt.

“Things people bring in are pretty hilarious,” Adams says. “Sometimes if they can’t find an item, they will make it themselves. It gets pretty interesting.”

The favorite event of Burke’s team, “Mr. Alexander’s Batter Dipped Naked Lubed Illegitimate Children,” is another category — the traveling questions. In this event, a question sends a portion of the team running around Ames and Story County looking for the answer.

“Last year they canceled the travel option due to the snow,” Burke says. “It was unfortunate because we excel at those.”

This year, Burke and his team are looking forward to all of the events.

“Its ambiguous because you don’t know what they ask,” he says. “They ask some really wacky questions, but I think we have a good shot this year.”

Burke says his team, which is comprised of Barker House residents in Lyon Hall, has of a lot of freshmen full of energy. It takes a lot to stay awake throughout the marathon, but the end is very rewarding.

“We usually start out strong, but as the nights go on, the numbers drone out with people going to bed,” Burke says. “But we take massive amounts of caffeine, get the adrenaline pumping and the scavenger hunt gets us out there and awake, so usually nodding off isn’t an issue.”

The rewards for the tasks completed and the right answers are based on a point system, and the team with the most points after 26 hours wins.

With 17 teams competing this year, Burke’s team’s biggest goal is to beat the team members in Harwood House, who are located one floor above in Lyon Hall.

“We rival them in everything we do. They won last year, but we won the year before,” Burke says. “This year, we’re looking for first.”