6/13 Show Discussion Thread *Spoilers*

[Justafan1]

This show is not all that great. Maybe I am just too old.

No, you are not. The show just is not all that great.

[Justafan1]

I had high hopes for an intelligent program that would showcase the abilities of some truly outstanding young scholars. But this show is just a joke!

I haven't studied Biology for over 40 years, but I knew the answers to all of the questions.

Please! How many chambers in the heart? These students should be able to identify and name all four. Dermis and epidermis...and it took a GUESS to get it right? Shameful!

Alex Trebek asks harder questions on Celebrity Jeopardy and the college week Jeopardy questions are much more demanding than this.

I don't fault the kids. They have earned high marks in school and scored very well on the SAT or other tests. But what standards are today's teachers using if you can be at the top of your class and not know the answers to junior high school science answers?

Ditto.

[marybethp]

I'm enjoying this show - I think Scot's reaction at the end was pure excitement and I was happy for him. All the kids are likable with the exception of Davis, who has a sense of entitlement. I did think it was good of him to go buy another gift card. They went about that wrong - that could have made for more excitement.

The only other one I'm having a hard time with is Liz. Can't quite put my finger on why.

[Mr Beefy]

But what standards are today's teachers using if you can be at the top of your class and not know the answers to junior high school science answers?

Junior high????

My 10 year old son (who just completed 4th grade) knew more answers to the biology questions than these so-called scholars did.

I can see perhaps tossing the kids a softball or two to get them warmed up, but the overall ease of the questions in the final showdown really brings down the show's credibility.

They should've strapped a hockey helmet on Gerald and put him back on the short bus after missing that last question....

[reality_emily]

Yeah, those questions were way easy. I was hoping for more of a challenge. The kids are nice, but the questions they miss....I guess it's a good thing they aren't too difficult!

[Muduh]

Regarding the extra points on the 4.0 scale for GPA's....in my high school they had dual enrollment courses that were from the local college. If you were in these it would give you an excess of points on your GPA. Not all of the advanced placement classes (AP) were that way, but there were a couple of the dual enrollment ones for the super motivated kids.

Lib, that's the program that my grandson is in. He earned some college credit this past school year and will earn some next year which is his senior year. I'll be interested to know what his final GPA will be. If I'm still around, I'll let you know.
Many of the questions they ask these kids seem so easy but maybe that's because we've had so many years to accummulate a little more knowlege. Of course when they get into the calculus and what was the descrete one? I'll be totally lost then.

[Newfherder]

Does anyone think these questons (for the Captain's Quiz and the final one) are ridiculously easy?

The questions have all been junior-high level, or at least that's where this average student learned the answers. I never had biology per se, and was never much interested in literature, but still found the questions to be too easy for determining who gets a gazillion $$ scholarship.

[GingerLVNV]

I guess Scot and I thought the same thing about this show, that everyone there actually was in desperate need of a scholarship or there would be no college. I'm glad he got through and at least got the 50 grand.

I totally agree about the questions. Wayyy too easy for what those kids GPA's are.

[oneTVslave]

I don't fault the kids. They have earned high marks in school and scored very well on the SAT or other tests. But what standards are today's teachers using if you can be at the top of your class and not know the answers to junior high school science answers?

Says something about the public school systems, doesn't it? I was appalled that Max's school didn't hire another Biology teacher when the other one left. WTF?

The only other one I'm having a hard time with is Liz. Can't quite put my finger on why.

Probably because she is enamored with Davis. Makes you question her judgement.

[Muduh]

I have been concerned about the school system in my town for several years. When I was 45 years old I started college. We had to take the most basic test omaginable just to get accepted. One other lady and I were there with a bunch of recently graduated kids. One test we took consisted of ten questions. You had to get six right or take remedial classes. When they graded the tests and sent the remedial folks on their way, there were about four of us left sitting. That was a shocker to me.
The school that Davis attends I believe, is considered an optional school. People fight to get their kids in there. I don't believe in that. Why are some schools lauded as being exceptional? Why not hold all to the same high standards?
I like all of these kids, some more than others of course. They are probably a very intelligent bunch but I wonder how much more they could do with the right instruction.