(Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
Did you know actor Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of a small seaside town in California in the 1980s on a pro-ice cream platform?
It’s true. Olivia Brown, a 2015 University of Virginia graduate, unearthed the unique factoid while creating one of her popular “Trivia with Olivia” games.
“There is a town in California called Carmel-by-the-Sea,” she said. “It’s a small town … and at some point, they made a piece of legislation for their town that banned the selling and eating of ice cream on public streets. Why they did this, I don’t know.”
Brown, who earned degrees in American studies and history, began creating trivia games for Starr Hill Brewery in late 2021 and enjoyed it so much that she has made it an official side hustle. During the day, she uses her UVA chops in her role as executive director of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.
For her puzzles, Brown often chooses a theme, like her recent Dec. 21 Hanukkah trivia at Starr Hill’s Dairy Market location.
Her games consist of three rounds, each with eight questions, for a two-hour experience. “Each team gets answer sheets that, as a team, they come up with their answers to all eight questions,” she explained. “Then at the end of the round, they bring that up to me, and then I do all the scoring and grading and put it in a spreadsheet to find the winner.”
Beginning in January, gamers can find her at Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen and Brewing on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. and Fridays at 6 p.m. at Superfly Brewery Co. Playing her quizzes is free, but Brown recommends people make reservations. She is also available for private events and plans to host some March Madness trivia games, with fingers crossed for a strong Cavalier showing in 2026.
To help us close out 2025, Brown created a special UVA Today trivia game for you, our readers.
Longtime women’s lacrosse coach Colleen Shearer started playing this popular sport recently and opened the local indoor facility, Cville Smash.
Sometimes you can’t make it there because of bad weather. Architecture students created a reflection room at Student Health and Wellness that resembles this local hike destination, the site of many a sunrise view.
This past year, people around Grounds and beyond took to stomping around to help mitigate the effects of this invasive insect.
Fifty-six UVA graduates have been selected for this prestigious scholarship. The most recent was 2024 graduate Grant GianGrasso, who is pursuing the first of two master’s degrees at Oxford University.
This fourth-year student competed on this NBC competition show, coached by country singer Kelsey Ballerini. She was then “stolen” by crooner Michael Bublé.
The novel “Only Son,” by professor Kevin Moffett, was a finalist for this literary award, which has been won in the past by authors Ralph Ellison and Alice Walker.
Mike Bunting is known as this Virginia fan because of a viral meme from 2015.
Mandy Baskin helped pay for her time at UVA with the income she earned flying this unique vehicle. She has since begun working in this capacity full-time.
University News Senior Associate Office of University Communications
jak4g@virginia.edu (434) 243-9935
