Mira Costa students show off their smarts in Scholar Quiz
Brady Currey, Zack Gill, Alec Lautanen and Eli Rivas won Tuesday’s Scholar Quiz at Mira Costa High School. Photo by Alene Tchekmedyian
“Competitors are you ready?” Charlotte Shales-Clark asked two teams of four Mira Costa High School students sitting in front of a packed campus auditorium on Tuesday.
The teams had just been introduced to the crowd, as Tyga’s “Rack City” blared through the speakers.
Clad in tank tops and matching wayfarer style sunglasses, Rob Janotta, Dylan Fair, Tom Wissel and Nick Maston made up the white team. The team boasts a combined academic weight of 11 advanced placement classes, two students on La Vista and one in Model United Nations.
The blue team, Alec Lautanen, Eli Rivas, Brady Currey and Zack Gill, wearing matching caps and button-down sweaters, were introduced as having a combined weight of 13 advanced placement classes, two students on La Vista, and all four in Model United Nations.
“Here we go Scholar Quiz 2012,” Costa science teacher Shales-Clark continued, behind the podium.
First question: “The number is the same. What common number represents the number of states which joined the confederacy during the Civil War and the number of…”
Nick Maston, Tom Wissel, Dylan Fair and Rob Janotta competed in the Scholar Quiz at Mira Costa on Tuesday. Photo by Alene Tchekmedyian
The white team’s Dylan Fair shot his flag in the air before Shales-Clark could even finish reading the question. The flag judge called on him.
“Eleven,” he said.
Correct.
“Alan Greenspan held this position for well over a decade in…” Shales-Clark started.
Lautanen, Costa junior who will be Editor in Chief of La Vista next year, quickly raised his flag.
“Chairman of the Federal Reserve?” he asked.
Correct.
The back-to-back questions continued, as the teams were quizzed on history, math, science, literature and popular culture. The Scholar Quiz, which was founded 26 years ago, kicked off last week with 64 teams of four participating. Throughout the week, teams were eliminated. “It’s one of most beloved PTA-sponsored events,” said PTA President Erika White last week, adding that students are excited to participate after AP testing is over. “Parents all love it.”
During one round, the topic was “famous quotations.”
Shales-Clark began, “Ask not what your country can do…”
Eli Rivas raises his flag to answer a question during the Scholar Quiz. Photo by Alene Tchekmedyian
Four hands shot up. Harvard University-bound Rivas was first.
“John F. Kennedy,” he said.
Correct.
“One man with courage is a majority.”
Silence.
“Thomas Jefferson, tsk tsk,” Shales-Clark said, continuing to the next quote.
“We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.”
“Obama,” a contestant answered.
“Excuse me?” Shales-Clark said, sassily. The crowd laughed. “How about Mohandas Ghandi,” she continued.
After more rounds quizzing the students about the periodic table, former presidential candidates and current events, Shales-Clark exhausted her list of questions.
Scorers Dan Debavec and Mike McAvin tallied their points. The blue team came out on top with a total score of 545. The white team’s finishing point tally was 210.
Had the Scholar Quiz not fallen during their fourth-period classes, Costa teachers McAvin and Debavec may not have attended, in solidarity with the teachers who sat out of the trivia contest to protest labor negotiations. “It’s technically our fourth period…our work period,” McAvin said.
Blue team captain Lautanen said his team trained by playing online trivia games on Sporcle, and meeting once for two hours to watch jeopardy and Google trivia questions. Each team member won $50, and their names will be engraved on a trophy. “This was a good team. We worked really hard and it paid off,” Lautanen said.