Scholar Quiz competition resumes after two-year hiatus

Sofia Williams and Isabella Montenegro

News Editor/Opinion Editor

On March 30, seniors Ethan Greenberg, Ezra Cohen, Ozan Bayiz, and Andrew Yang won the final round of Costa’s annual Scholar Quiz. 

The final round, which took place on March 30 in the auditorium, also included seniors Jax Stutz, William Janson, Ben Hant, and Charlotte Estrin. During the week of March 22, teams competed against each other during lunch. The winning team of each match advanced to the next round until there were only two teams remaining.

“We saw so many teams play as individuals, just seeing how much they know and competing against one another,” said senior and winning team captain Greenberg. “We made sure that we all supported each other. We knew what each other’s strengths were and refined our strategy: knowing when in the question to answer, how sure to be of your answer. This varies from match to match depending upon the other team’s strengths.” 

This year’s Scholar Quiz relied on the financial support of the PTSA and Study Hut Tutoring. Additionally, over 175 parents, teachers and community members volunteered to be readers, flag judges and score keepers.

“This annual event uniquely brings together nearly 500 students, teachers, admin, parents and community volunteers over a week’s period and, through this process, fosters and strengthens a collaborative, student-centered and academically enriching culture,” said Scholar Quiz parent co-chair Janet Dargan.

Each round of the competition contains “toss-up questions,” which either team can answer. A team can gain a point by answering correctly but will lose a point for providing an incorrect response. Additionally, bonus questions are awarded to teams who answer certain “toss-up questions” correctly. These questions award no penalty for incorrect answers. Finally, the lightning round is a series of questions relating to a specific topic that are asked in rapid succession. In a lightning round, a team can gain 5 points for providing an incorrect response.

“I am very satisfied with our [Scholar Quiz team’s] performance in the competition, and I’m grateful that we have been able to make it as far as we have,” said senior Xavier Dargan. “We’ve had a lot of fun, and we were all able to answer lots of questions.”

The competition’s final round was held in the Costa Auditorium on March 30 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Teachers were permitted to bring their homeroom classes, but occupancy was limited to 1,000 attendees. Additionally, all 16 teams that participated in round three of the competition were given immediate access to the event.

“I’m still processing [winning Scholar Quiz]” said Greenberg. “Our team made a deliberate effort to take [the competition] one match at a time. I always knew we were capable of winning, but I went into every match expecting to lose.”

According to Janet Dargan, the planning process for the competition is composed of four main components: using spreadsheet organization to calculate daily brackets; securing classroom facilities and delegating tasks to volunteers; contacting Costa administrators and tournament sponsors to coordinate logistics and publicity; and organizing tournament supplies such as flags and banners.

“We [Janet Dargan and co-chair John Dargan] recognize the tremendous benefits the tournament brings in terms of stimulating intellectual curiosity in students and building a culture of teamwork and collaboration for not just the students but the whole community,” said Janet Dargan.

Students signed up for the competition starting March 1, and 64 teams were entered into the Quiz on a first-come, first-serve basis. Teams are composed of four students each—some teams consist of students in multiple grade levels, while others are composed of students in the same grade. 

“Our team wanted to do the competition this year because it’s a really fun event where you get to work as a team and compete in challenging trivia,” said Xavier Dargan. “Our team has been playing together for many years now, and it’s really great to have the opportunity to play together one last time.”

Students who did not participate in the competition were permitted to watch all rounds of the Scholar Quiz. Rounds other than the final took place in classrooms throughout Costa’s campus. 

“This is a fully student-centered event that celebrates and reinforces student knowledge, teamwork and camaraderie in a fun and exciting format,” said Janet Dargan.