Mind Games Back on WDCM 
02-04-2008

WDCM turns its attention from athletic competition to academic with the return of its Mind Games.

A 14-week scholastic competition featuring the 6 area high schools, Mind Games focuses on trivia and knowledge, combined with a quick recall and lightning reflexes.

Last year, 16 high schools competed in the first installment of the series, with River Valley dominating through to the end, capturing the title with a victory over Delaware Hayes. The Vikings’ leading scorer, Trey Sands, is gone however.

This year, the competition is limited to Marion County schools in a league-like competition. Three teams in each bracket will compete in a round-robin style. Group A features Elgin, Ridgedale, and Harding while Pleasant, River Valley, and Marion Catholic go at each other in Group B. Creator and show host

Rob Whalen says this year’s show will be even better. “We’ve added a few new elements to the structure of the game, plus limiting it to Marion County schools will add a great deal more interest locally. The prizes are the same, though.”

The six high schools will be vying for over $5,000 in scholarships and grants. Those prizes include a $2,000 general scholarship from the I CAN Center of Excellence and 4-$250 scholarships to the Ohio State University of Marion for the winning team. The general scholarship fund will go to the individual school for a student who might normally not be able to attend college, essentially meaning the players could be playing for a fellow student to receive a post high school education.

Another new wrinkle is the inclusion of sponsor Time Warner Cable, meaning the show will be broadcast on television as well.

“Everyone in the county can catch a match in some way and see how smart these kids are,” Whalen adds.

The competition features 3 rounds of general questions, ranging from chemistry to pop culture. Unlike other competitions, however, Mind Games features unique specialty questions that can change the score of a game in a hurry.

6 triple threat questions are scattered through the three rounds of competition allow teams to score up to three points at a time. Other specialty questions include the This, That, or The Other One segment as well as the Lightning Round, 25 questions on one topic.

A part of the game Whalen enjoys is the lack of a penalty for a wrong answer. “Because you don’t get punished for a guess, you can get some weird answers for questions. The mind goes blank, the finger buzzes in without you knowing it and all eyes are on you. And you come up with the worst possible guess.”

The action kicks off this weekend with the first of three tapings set for the OSUM campus Saturday, February 9th. Ridgedale and Harding take part in the first game, beginning at 8 AM. That game will be broadcast on 97.5 Sunday evening beginning at 6 PM.