By Elena Coe Mcnamara
Features Editor
White three! Junior Noah Geller correctly answers the final question of Mira Costa’s annual Scholar Quiz, and the boys are champions once again.
Geller, as well as juniors Peter Lu and Tommy Kelleher and sophomore Kevin Chen, won the annual Scholar Quiz competition on April 5 in the auditorium, marking Team Lu’s third consecutive victory.
“It felt very rewarding, but it was also a huge relief because of the pressure to win another year,” Geller said.
Where It All Started: Study Hut Owners Sponsor Scholar Quiz
Scholar Quiz began on March 29, with each round of the competition consisting of 52 questions varying from toss-ups to bonus rounds to lightning rounds. All matches were held during lunch, except the final, which took place in the auditorium during second period.
Lu, who has been on a Scholar Quiz team with Kelleher since the competitions at Manhattan Beach Middle School, said that the team has all been good friends since they were in middle school. Geller joined the team during his sophomore year at Costa. The three juniors had come out as champions for the previous two years that they have participated in Scholar Quiz at Costa.
“I was happiest whenever the time came for me to play,” Chen said. “Just participating is an experience in itself.”
Read More: La Vista covers the two men that sponsor Scholar Quiz
Geller said that the thrill of being in the finals of Scholar Quiz was one of the best parts of the whole experience. Answering each question correctly throughout the quiz comes with a sense of excitement knowing that they will go further, he said.
“I tended to be more conservative, only answering questions I felt confident about; I wasn’t so keen on guessing,” Geller said. “I certainly got nervous, although quitting was never an option.”
The team prepared for the competition by watching television shows such as “Jeopardy” and “High School Quiz Bowl” and looking at trivia websites. The team did not have a specific strategy, but each member knew the others’ strengths and took that into account when participating in the Scholar Quiz, Lu said.
“Our preparation was more just for fun because you can’t really prepare for Scholar Quiz,” Lu said. “It definitely helped us become a better team, though.”
Check it Out: Photos from the Final Competition
All four boys plan to compete together next year and hope to continue their winning streak, Geller said. Once they graduate from Mira Costa, they all plan to continue their educations at four-year colleges.
“I think it’s amazing that we have come this far in three years,” Lu said. “When we got to Costa, we originally had extremely low expectations, but somehow we have made it here.”
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