Team Beauties and the Beasts rules Quiz Nite IV

Quiz Nite IV last Saturday, May 2, had a total of seven teams composed of six or more players battling to become the new champions at the Fiesta Resort and Spa’s Hibiscus Hall. The Autism Society of the CNMI thanks Team Ikaika for coming again, Team Pathfinder representing the good folks at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, State Rehabilitation Council, and the CNMI Office of Transportation Authority for coming out to take no prisoners, Team Manny Pac representing members of the ASCNMI who came to fight for glory, and Team Marpac for bringing prizes, giveaways and their smartest people to fight for the coveted and elusive Quiz Nite golden trophy.

When the dust settled, a new team took first place this year! Team Beauties and the Beasts with George Hasselback fought through five rounds, 50 questions, and countless team discussions to score a total of 29 points to walk away with their heads held high, a glittering gold trophy, but with their pockets empty because they gave back their $300 prize to ASCNMI.

Team 246, made up of doctors, lawyers, and their significant others, came in third place during Saturday’s Quiz Night IV event of the Autism Society of the CNMI at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan’s Hibiscus Hall.(Contributed Photo)

Team Busch Knights is presented with their second place trophy and cash prize at the Quiz Night IV event of the Autism Society of the CNMI. (Contributed Photo)

Team Beauties and the Beasts are presented with their championship trophy after winning first place in Saturday’s Quiz Night IV event of the Autism Society of the CNMI at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan’s Hibiscus Hall.(Contributed Photo)

In second place was Team Busch Knights, which was also new to Quiz Nite. They represented Typhoon Digital, a local business specializing in computer graphics, along with their close friends. Together they mustered 27 total points, and had to battle to win by a single point against Team 246 in the tie breaker Round 6. After claiming their silver trophy, they also handed back their $200 prize to ASCNMI.

Team 246, made up of doctors, lawyers, and their significant others, came in third place with 26 points from a possible 50 total points. Team 246 got the green trophy and the $100 prize, which they immediately gave back to ASCNMI. (Incidentally, this team named themselves after a toothpick incident in the 1988 movie Rain Man where Dustan Hoffman as Raymond, a man with autism, counted the toothpicks when they fell to the floor. He added 82 three times and came up with 246 toothpicks. Tom Cruise, who played his brother, asked the waitress who dropped the toothpick box what was the count on the toothpick box, and she said 250, but then added that there were still four toothpicks left in the box.)

Team Beauties and Beasts will have absolute bragging rights until April 2016 when Quiz Nite V will call them back out to battle again as defending champions of the Autism Society of the CNMI’s Quiz Nite Trivia Challenge.

Thank you to everyone who came to help, including our process observers Becky and Chad, and the wonderful judges, Bernie Benevente Helstrom with 40 years and counting in education, Barbara Sher who is a published writer several times and known as “The Games Lady,” and Jimmy Sablan of NMPASI, whose claim to fame is knowing just about everyone on island.

So if you think you and your family and or friends have the cranium capacity to compete for glory and bragging rights, come out next April 2016 during Autism Awareness Month to dethrone Beauties and the Beasts and to take home the Golden Quiz Nite V Trophy! (ASCNMI)