The Rathskellar was buzzing with students from assorted fields of study, eager to compete for the cash prize in the math competition. The first place winner would receive $500, second place $200, and third place $100. Only three of the seventeen competitors will win the cash prizes, which raised the stakes of who would win. Reginald Bess and his co-host, Dr. Christopher Hayes, took the stage to explain the rules. Each participant then received a sheet of paper to answer questions. Each question was challenging, and contestants were given only three minutes to respond.
After an intense first round, only seven students remained in the competition. The following contestants were: Frederick Scott, Kyle Florio, Luke Florio, Lev Shayman, Alen Rubinshteyn, Zarek Nathanson, and Zefan Nathanson. The pressure mounted in the second round. After an hour, the hosts announced three winners: Lev Shayman, Frederick Scott, and Zefan Nathanson. All the sweat and tears poured into the competition paid off.
Lev Shayman was the first winner to receive the cash prize. “My friends and I decided to split the prize money so that someone would get at least something out of this competition, but I didn’t think I would win.” Lev explained that he entered the competition just for fun and did not expect to place first. When his name was announced, he was surprised and excited. Winning not only earned him and his friends some money but also allowed him to save for an upcoming trip to Europe.
Frederick Scott was declared the second champion. “I quickly put down the last answer before I ran because I was already late to the meeting with the Student Council. I was surprised to win second place.” Frederick also lamented that he was disappointed he didn’t win first, but considers it an accomplishment, as he is an English major so he has not used math in a long while. “It was a nice warm flashback to when I minored in math, which I had dropped. It feels good to know that I’m still good at math.” Last but not least, Zefan Nathanson came in third place. Zefan was all smiles as he signed, “My brother told me about this competition and I thought it would be fun. I won third! I never expected it as I did not prepare for it.”
In the end, the competition was not just about winning but about the connection among contestants and improving their math skills. As a spectator, I noticed how lengthy the event was and the intense pressure each competitor faced. In the end, only three fortunate winners emerged triumphant!
