Scholar Quiz Allows Students to Flex Mental Muscle

If you can name in a matter of seconds the wind speed of an average hurricane, the singer on the album Fearless, and the probability of pulling a king and queen out of a deck of cards, then you might be able to get to the quarterfinals of the  Mira Costa Scholar Quiz.

The quiz is a fast-paced event that not only challenges the almost 256 competitors on their intelligence, but their reflexes as well. To have a chance in the scholar quiz, you need quick wit and an even quicker wrist. My Scholar Quiz team of freshmen made it to the top 16.

Each Scholar Quiz match consists of two teams of four students in a single elimination tournament. Each game takes place during lunch and consists of about 30 minutes of rapid fire questioning during which the teams receive only five seconds to ponder each question. Though that may seem brief, the full five seconds are rarely used. In fact, the students in Scholar Quiz are so speedy with their mental and physical responses that most questions are answered before the second half of the question is even read.

It is not unusual, though, for competitors to raise their flags to answer only to realize they don't know the answer. Certain guesses can bring quite a bit of laughter from the audience, making Scholar Quiz amusing and educational.

The real value of Scholar Quiz is that it showcases the wide spectrum of knowledge of certain Mira Costa students. Although most of the top competitors each year also excel academically, there are great quiz players who don't fare as well in the classroom. This may be because of the ample sports and pop culture questions encountered during matches.  

Although the high school's annual event recently ended with a remarkable 205 to 190 victory for Team Zobel (juniors Nick Zobel, Erik Kreager, Wiley Davis, and Joey Beck), the Scholar Quiz excitement has been building in the district since the beginning of May. Middle school students also participate in Scholar Quiz, and this year's first match took place May 13 at Manhattan Beach Middle School. It ended in a victory for Team Waxler (eighth-graders Alex Waxler, Milo Davis, Ryan Gulland, and Stefan Palombo).

Those interested in Scholar Quiz may sign up to become volunteers for next year's event. For any parents wanting to watch, be sure to arrive on time because even five minutes into lunch, Mira Costa's biggest classrooms are packed. No one wants to miss a moment of the pulse-raising, breakneck entertainment that is Scholar Quiz.

Adam Gerard is a freshman at Mira Costa High School. His student columns appear semi-regularly at Manhattan Beach Patch.