Journey through the brilliant minds of Smartacus 2022 champions
In the post-pandemic era, when the world is yet to return to normalcy in full swing, online activities have taken a precedence over physical ones. So, like many other fields, the quizzing arena also witnessed a boom in online contests. Keeping this in mind, HT School kicked off its online interschool team quiz on 15th August 2022. Known as Smartacus 2022 – The Hindustan Times National Interschool Quiz, it continued for six months across various zonal rounds and culminated recently with the National Final on 17th February. It was conducted by one of India’s most revered quizmasters Dr. Navin Jayakumar.
What started off with over 20,000 students (of grades 5 to 12) of 100 plus schools, from all across the nation, ended with one school crowned as the champion. It was Sri Kumaran Children’s Home, CBSE, Mallasandra, Bengaluru (South Zone) who triumphed over Gokuldham High School, Goregaon East, Mumbai (West Zone) a 3-point lead. Post the National Final, HT School spoke to the members of the winning team: Satvik RK, Grade 12, Rohan R Bharadwaj, Grade 10 and Tejas M Harish, Grade 12. Incidentally, Satvik, who was the captain of his team, also emerged as the Quizzer of the Year, the solo round that happened right after the National Final. Here is what the members of the champion team had to say.
Quizzing is like a magnet: Rohan R Bharadwaj
Currently studying in grade 10, Rohan began his quizzing journey in grade 6, thanks to the annual literary fest that happens in his school. However, what made him continue his journey through quizzing was something else. “I quiz solely for those moments of suspense and anticipation, when you know the answer but can’t figure it out,” says the enthusiastic quizzer. Quizzing, he believes, is like a magnet, and the more you do it, the more you get drawn towards it.
What made Smartacus 2022 stand out for Rohan was that it was a journey, not just a one-day match, like most quizzes are. He says, “It kept me engrossed throughout and also made me realise that my effort had to be consistent.” Rohan further adds, “I have never seen so many good questions in one place and I can’t help but appreciate the quality.” He feels that the grid format was brilliant and should be continued in the coming editions.
For Rohan, the most exciting moment in Smartacus 2022, was the final question of the National Final. “It was literally a do or die situation. It was either they answer and they win or vice versa. I don’t think it could have been any more thrilling,” he shares. Another significant moment for this quizzing champ came when he began the Round of 16 (Zonals) with a wrong answer. He says, “I was extremely disappointed and regret it till date. Luckily, I got the next one correct and made up for it.”
Rohan sees himself continuing quizzing, both during his final two years of school-life as well as in the later years. He feels it is because quizzing inherently makes him happy. “There’s no better feeling than getting that one answer right. In that regard, I think I have two more years of Smartacus left in me,” he smiles. Inclined towards the genres of pop culture and geography, Rohan signs off saying, “The mantra is to remember that what’s easy for you will be easy for the opponent too. So, always be on the edge and be absolutely sure. The goal is to keep chasing knowledge and soak it in, be it for quiz or just life.”
The quick GK facts of Classmate notebooks piqued my curiosity: Tejas M Harish
Just like his teammate Rohan, Tejas too got interested in quizzing through the same literary fest in his school. But there were other inspirations too. For instance, a Walnut Knowledge Solutions’ initiative called Quizshala (now QShala) was what gained him his first hands-on quizzing experience in grade 2. But what really got this 12th grader into quizzing was the back pages of the Classmate notebooks. He recalls, “They used to be filled with quick GK facts. I think for the first time ever, those started piquing my curiosity.” In addition, there was also a Quiz Club at his school. “It not only gave me the taste of being a quizzer, but also a quizmaster. There, we had to make our own quizzes, and quiz others. I think that kind of resonated well with me,” he adds.
As for Smartacus 2022, Tejas feels that the Final was the most exciting because there were two grids that doubled the fun. The Quarter Final, on the other hand, was challenging for him. “Tie breakers always make quizzing intense. This time, however, we got it right. I guess it was all because there was no negative marking. That allowed us to take the added risk. On top of that, there was teamwork,” says Tejas.
Tejas feels the only thing missing from Smartacus 2022 was the buzzer round. But that didn’t make it any less enjoyable, especially in the Semi Final. “Avinash sir with his jokes and passing remarks made the nail-biting Semi-Final both hilarious and memorable,” says the aspiring engineer, with an inclination towards sports and movie genres of quizzing.
It took me a while to realise quizzing is my true calling: Satvik RK
Satvik, who was exposed to the world of quizzing in the 4th grade, abides by the mantra: Stay hungry, stay foolish. “We need to be aware of how little we know. I also keep in mind two other pearls of wisdom: Don’t be afraid of taking risks and don’t jump the gun but do remember to take a leap of faith,” says the bright 12th grader, basking in the glory of his team’s success and that of his own. After all, he was the Quizzer of the Year too! He shares, “Kahoot! is a platform I am familiar with. Recently, I came second in all-India Deccan-Herald Quiz, the second round of which was also conducted on that platform. I believe I won largely because of it. Kahoot! has the speed factor and you can say I am quite quick on the mouse. So, I guess, that gave me an edge over the rest!”
Well-acquainted with offline quizzing, Smartacus 2022 was Satvik’s first online quiz. “Smartacus 2022 had all kinds of flavours, starting from individual rounds and team rounds to bonuses and of course mystery boxes. It was a whole, unique and novel package where we constantly had to keep strategizing,” says the pro quizzer, busy preparing for his school finals. For Satvik, the National Final, was especially memorable as the stakes were high, and the questions were trickier. But what he regrets the most was making a calculation error and putting extra pressure on his teammates.
“Throughout the quiz, we made off the mark guesses. Some went our way, others didn’t. For instance, I answered Russia instead of USSR. That was a technical error and cost us a point. shares Satvik.
Just like his teammates, this 12th grader also began his quizzing journey with Quizshala and a literary fest in school. He joined out of a whim and then got quite addicted to it. “Once I finished all three courses of Quizshala did I realise that quizzing was my true calling. I haven’t been able to stop ever since,” says the enthusiastic quizzer who considers quizzing as his favourite mode of learning. “I think I have always found information I received from quizzes easier to retain,” he adds.
In the coming years, Satvik would like to continue quizzing, both as a quizzer and a quizmaster. “My school offered us with something called ‘hobby classes’. There, we could organise our own quizzes, and create our own questions. I remember how I used to emulate Quizshala,” he recalls. In fact, he believes all these together triggered his interest further which he will carry forward with him all his life.
An engineering aspirant like his friend Tejas, Satvik chooses India and general trivia as his favourite genres of quizzing. “I think negative marking should be a norm in Smartacus as it increases the risk factor. I believe the risk versus reward factor brings out the best in each one of us and reveals the real grit and determination of a hardcore quizzer, especially in a high-pressure scenario,” signs off Satvik.