Some answers are found in a trivia book. Others require a conversation.
Both are part of the job for Jim Fields.
As the “Askin’ Nebraskan,” he has hosted more than 1,200 trivia nights. At UNK, where he serves as assistant director of Disability Services for Students, he helps Lopers find the support they need.
“I’ve always had a passion to help people with whatever challenges they are facing in life,” Fields said. “I think throughout my career, in very different ways, I’ve been able to do that.”
That career has taken the Rockford, Illinois, native down several paths. After earning a bachelor’s degree in religion from Carthage College in Wisconsin, he spent 12 1/2 years in youth ministry. Fields and his wife, Katie, moved to Kearney in 2014 after he accepted a position with Mosaic in Axtell, where he spent eight years in fundraising and community relations. He later worked as a sales manager at a Kearney senior living community before joining UNK in May 2025.
Along the way, Fields also found a side gig that became a fixture at venues across central Nebraska. He started hosting trivia in 2018, eventually building the “Askin’ Nebraskan” into a regular schedule of more than 200 live nights a year.
Describe your role with Disability Services for Students:
I am the “go to” for students who have documented disabilities and need accommodations either in the classroom or housing. I get to meet with students, talk about the challenges they face, then consider what reasonable accommodations could be made to give them equal access so they can show their mastery of the material without being hindered by their disability. Sometimes it’s pretty straightforward, and sometimes we have to get a little creative.
Who is eligible for these services?
Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. There is a process we go through to determine what challenges the student is facing and what might be reasonable to consider, without fundamentally altering the course and program they are enrolled in.
How are UNK faculty and staff involved in this process?
While our office determines accommodations, providing reasonable accommodations is the responsibility of the entire university. I can’t say enough good things about how our faculty and staff work to implement the accommodations needed. When there is an accommodation that may seem challenging, or even unreasonable, I appreciate that faculty will reach out so we can talk through the situation together, often landing on something that might work. It truly is a partnership between our office, faculty, staff and the students to ensure students have the access they need to have an equal opportunity.
Your alter ego is the Askin’ Nebraskan. When did this start?
My wife and I had some medical bills and needed a bigger shovel. We worked a few side jobs here and there, but with the work I was doing at that time, it was super helpful having something where I could control the hours. I’ve always enjoyed trivia and thought there might be a market for it in the area. I talked with another trivia host who lived in California at the time and was running multiple nights a week and learned how he got started.
How often do you host trivia nights? What are the rules?
I’m somewhere every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at least. Some of my regular venues include Kearney businesses – The Crafty Dog Sports Bar, McCue’s Nebraska Taproom and Upper Room Brewery – as well as Lost Way Brewery in Holdrege, Lucky Duck Bar in Gibbon, Steeple Brewing in Hastings and Meridian Tap House in Cozad, among others. I also organize fundraisers, company parties, weddings and personal events. The last three years I’ve averaged more than 200 live nights a year.
The rules are simple. I ask the questions and the teams write down the responses on answer sheets I provide. They turn them in at the end of the round and I score them. The biggest rule beyond that is no phones; don’t cheat at bar trivia. That’s just sad; don’t be that person.
How do you come up with the questions?
I have a few websites I find ideas on. I’m also in a group with some other trivia hosts across the country where we will sometimes share rounds, but the majority of my rounds are written by me. I spend a lot of time with Google and other resources to find things to ask about. I always have four themed rounds (each round is a different theme), then a “catch all” round at the end that is usually about a hodgepodge of topics.
What is the most interesting answer, right or wrong, that you’ve received?
Sometimes I ask things that I find online that I think are crazy, but people actually know the answers. Other times people try to make me laugh with an answer if they don’t know the correct response, which I really appreciate. Have some fun with it!
What is the hardest question you’ve ever asked?
Hmm, there have been some doozies, I’m sure. But the one I like to use in this situation is what animal has the most teeth? It’s a snail!
What do you enjoy about your job at UNK?
Immediately it felt like a family here and felt like I was home. While I’m biased, I also think the Loper Success Hub was the perfect spot for me to land. I work with a great team of smart, encouraging and forward-thinking leaders. I think this job is a good fit for me because it allows me to continue to help people while walking alongside young adults and seeing them blossom and grow, ensuring they have what they need to achieve their goals. I didn’t realize how much I missed working with this age group until I got here. I’m proud to be a Loper and hope to be one for a very long time!
Is there anything else the UNK community might not know about you?
I am married to an amazing woman who is a family support worker with a counseling and consulting company out of North Platte. We have a 12-year-old cat, Sawyer, who thinks he rules the roost.
As far as community involvement, I’ve been involved in several things throughout my life and career but currently am honored to serve on the board of directors for Goodwill of Greater Nebraska. As far as hobbies go, I am an avid pro wrestling, Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs fan and play in what is likely an unhealthy number of fantasy football leagues.
PHOTOS BY ERIKA PRITCHARD, UNK COMMUNICATIONS
