Seven students from the University’s Robert D. Clark Honors College went head to head with students from Oregon State University on the local television quiz show High Five Challenge over the weekend.
Chris Carlson, Amanda Henrichs, Jimmy Hastings, Scott Montanaro, Sarah Koski, Will Seymour and Eva Sylwester represented the University on the show, which was taped Saturday in Portland and will air on Oregon Public Broadcasting on June 18.
The University team came up short in the competition, losing to the OSU honors college 2,140 to 2,580. The team won two meals from Chipotle Mexican Grill and three video passes to Hollywood Video for its efforts.
“It was a real fun day, although I wish the result had been different,” Seymour said. “I guess that’s what next year is for.”
Koski, the team captain, said second place didn’t bother her because the entire day was so enjoyable.
The High Five Challenge consists of 10 categories with 10 questions each that cover a variety of subjects. A question is asked and a member of either team can ring in and answer. One category during Saturday’s play was the “2006 Grammy’s” and another was “peninsulas,” Koski said.
“Basically, if you had a random bunch of facts in your head, you do well,” Koski said.
Seymour said that, for the most part, all contestants had a good guess on most of the questions.
“It came down to speed and reaction time,” he said. “OSU had a couple of members that had been on the show several times, so they had the edge on it in that respect.”
The team invited University alumni from the Portland area, friends and family to sit in the crowd during the taping.
“The people with the show said our cheer section was one of the loudest and most verbose the studio has seen for a long time,” Koski said.
Members of the crowd cheered loudly, waved yellow pom-poms and held “Damn the Beavers” signs.
“I like it like that. The more school spirit the better,” said Wayne Faligowski, the show’s creator and host. “Our crowd-control person … said something about ‘let me hear it about the Ducks,’ and the coach (Kate Kevern) jumped up in the aisle and started screaming. It was real fun.”
Faligowski launched the show in 1993 and after working as a consumer reporter for KOIN 6 in Portland. He became fed up with the mass amount of negative news directed at youth.
“I felt it was time to show there are really good souls out there in today’s youth,” he said. “The show drives to recognize good kids.”
Contact the people, faith and culture reporter at [email protected]
