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Whiz Kids: The New Rochelle High School Academic Team’s senior members Raj Basak, Natania Buchbinder, Max Gordon (Captain), John Jove andZachary Whittman.

Accomplishment: These five ready and raring New Rochelle High School students will take on Byram Hills High School in Armonk in the third roundof the award-winning TV quiz show The Challenge on MSG Varsity at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Key to Awesomeness: The five longest participating and most dedicated members of New Rochelle’s Academic Team according to the teamcaptain, Max Gordon, are old veterans of the popular MSG Varsity television quiz show The Challenge and expect to dominate at tonight’scompetition.

“We’re all excited heading into it. I've been doing The Challenge for three years, and I still get a few butterflies before each match. But once thematch gets going, the team focuses in.” Gordon said.

“It was very nerve-racking, especially the first time, but on the whole filming is always a lot of fun,” Natania Buchbinder described her pastexperiences on the set of The Challenge. “The real heart-in-throat period is waiting around for the filming to start, but after that I feel much morerelaxed,” she adds.

To prepare for competition the students meet weekly to practice trivia questions that test their knowledge of history, arts and literature, currentevents, math and science similar to what will be asked during the show.

Some students also choose to study on their own to prepare for competitions, typically focusing on the subjects that interest them.

“The heat is on for these kids, but they can handle it. When you make it to Round 3, you’ve demonstrated that your team is prepared and canperform under pressure,” Jared Cotter, the show’s host said. “These students are at the top of their game. As we move on to Round 3, theatmosphere on the set becomes electric.”

Being dedicated to the team for as long as they have, the team members find teamwork and trust carries them through the competitions.

“We’re no strangers to the emotions of the matches. We each have our own specialties so we know that we can always count on our teammates.”Gordon said.

“What you really can't tell from watching the show is how much of a team effort the game really is,” Buchbinder said. “If you trust the team, that

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Whiz Kids: The New Rochelle HS Academic TeamThe five-member team moves on to Round 3 of popular MSG Varsity show "The Challenge."

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makes it a lot less stressful.”

The team hopes to be crowned the Westchester/Lower Hudson Valley regional champions, winning $2,500 for New Rochelle High School and theopportunity to compete in the tri-state showdown.

That showdown awards $10,000 in prize money and an additional $500 for each participating student.

“Round 3 promises some fierce competition and exciting viewing for our TV audience,” said Theresa Chillianis, MSG Varsity’s General Manager. “Wewish New Rochelle High School and Byram Hills High School good luck as they vie for a spot in Round 4.”

Do you know a Whiz Kid, someone who has special qualities that sets them apart from their peers? Nominate them by sending an email toMichael Woyton at New Rochelle Patch.

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Theresa Kump Leghorn12:02pm on Thursday, April 28, 2011

This is just another great example of the outstanding job New Rochelle's public schools are doing. We have an enormous and diversestudent body, yet NRHS manages to achieve excellence in academics (five students in this senior class were accepted to Harvard, two to Yale,and there are others who will be going to Cornell, NYU, Columbia, etc.) as well as sports and arts. See for yourself this weekend: Come see"Saving Seatown" in the Linda Kelly Theater this weekend, an original musical written by NRHS students in the PAVE program. The musical willbe performed April 28 & 29 @ 7:30pm, April 30th @ 2pm and 7:30pm and May 1 @ 2pm. The cost of the show is $10 for adults and $7 forstudents/seniors. Ticket sales are at the door only. The students performing will be participating at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh,Scotland in August of 2011 -- New Rochelle High School's 3rd trip by invitation only to the Fringe Festival. NRHS performed in 2003 (HAIR) and2006 (The Cradle Will Rock).

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