After a tense back-and-forth battle, Team Greenberg clinched a hard-fought victory in the finals of Costa’s annual Scholar Quiz competition on Tuesday. The team, made up of seniors Daniel Greenberg, Maxine Wright, Ava Larson, and junior Thomas, edged out Team Bindler with a final score of 225 to 190, sealing the win during a high-stakes lightning round.
On Tuesday, Team Greenberg clinched a hard-fought victory against Team Bindler in the finals of Costa’s annual Scholar Quiz competition, with a final score of 225 to 190. The team, made up of seniors Daniel Greenberg, Maxine Wright, Ava Larson, and junior Thomas.
The competition, organized by Costa’s PTSA in partnership with Study Hut, has long been a highlight of the academic calendar. According to Scholar Quiz Committee Co-chair Angie Smith, putting together the event each year is no small task.
“We work really hard with Study Hut, they write all the questions and send them off every morning,” Smith said. “From there, it’s kind of a puzzle piece of getting all the teachers to volunteer, finding rooms, and organizing everyone into teams. The very first day we had 120 volunteers. We get a lot of city council representatives, former teachers, and city employees.”
The final round was very tense, with both teams trading leads throughout the match. The game came down to the lightning round, where correct answers were worth five points and wrong answers cost five points. Team Greenberg’s sharp focus and quick teamwork ultimately gave them the edge.
“[In my teammates,] I was mostly looking for knowledge diversity,” Greenberg said. “That’s kind of my secret sauce that I don’t tell anyone. There’s a bunch of different ways to get questions and practice, but once you make your team, you don’t want to be practicing aimlessly. It’s less about the knowledge and more about working together as a team and building trust.”
Team Bindler, consisting of juniors Alex Bindler, Dylan Feakins, Ethan Stearns, and Davis Radden, put up a strong fight. Their strategy also involves team chemistry with Bindler and Feakins having been teammates since middle school.
“I participate in [Scholar Quiz] solely because it’s fun,” Bindler said. “I think showing up with your friends every day and just having fun and competing is really what makes it so great. You can approach it from so many different ways to play, so it’s as fun as you make it, and I enjoy that adaptability.”
History teacher Steven Signiser, who has overseen the competition since the 1990s, said that the rivalries and intensity are part of what makes Scholar Quiz so memorable.
History teacher Steven Signiser, who ran Scholar Quiz from 1999 to 2010 approves of the way the tournament is ran today. According to him, Scholar Quiz has maintained the high energy environment that makes it special.
“It was run by teachers originally,” Signiser said. “It was hectic— it still is. Kids kind of build their year around it. The rivalries get really intense, people get ticked off about their seating, it’s kind of funny in that way. Once it’s all said and done, it’s the kind of experience everyone can look back fondly on. It’s a time to celebrate all types of knowledge.”
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