Daniel Berdichevsky talks about World Scholars Cup
Daniel Berdichevsky, the founder of the World Scholars Cup (WSC), an international academic competition, came to SMIC-I to give students a presentation. On the night of September 26th, students, parents, and several teachers gathered in the auditorium for the speech. They listened, enraptured, as Daniel began with a story about the pink alpaca he had been carrying. Alpacas were especially important when it came to WSC, as they were the mascot of the program. Each scholar who participated went home with an alpaca of their own.
After, Berdichevsky proceeded to introduce himself and the World Scholars Cup. Since founding the WSC in 2005, the organization has expanded rapidly throughout the world. In a video, Daniel presented the previous Global Round in the city of Kuala Lumpur, where more than four thousand students from over forty nations had been present. There, events such as the Scavenger Hunt and the Scholar’s Cultural Fair engaged the students to interact and make friends. During the Closing Ceremony, students held their country’s flags proudly in the stadium.
The World Scholars Cup consists of three rounds. The first is the Regional Round, where once a team exceeds a certain amount of points, they moved on to the Global Round. This year, three Global Rounds were held in Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, and Melbourne. The teams gathered at the Tournament of Champions, hosted by Yale University.
The Regional Round includes four events. First, the Scholar’s Bowl, where “we will pose questions to you as a team…in terms of learning, and in terms of what we want to create,” Berdichevsky explained. Second, Collaborative Writing, where team members helped each other in writing essays. Third, Scholar’s Challenge, a test of knowledge. And finally, Team Debate. The Debate Showcase and the Scholar’s Show are also held during the Regional Round.
The Scholar’s Show, Berdichevsky explained, was “not just a traditional talent show,” any talent was welcome. A boy completed a Rubik’s cube with his feet. Another juggled sushi. In the previous 2018 Regional Round in Shanghai, Yuhan Chen (11A) had participated in the Scholar’s Show, where he proceeded to prove a mathematical theorem on stage. According to Berdichevsky, “everyone appreciated it.”
Throughout the years, many SMIC-I students have taken part in World Scholars Cup and won certain competitions. Michelle Chen (9A), a former WSC participant, commented, “This competition created a really exciting and nice environment for the scholars. Also, after studying the information, you can learn many things.” Any students looking for a challenge, are interested in an unique and educational opportunity, and are not opposed to large amounts of colorful alpacas, look no further than the World Scholars Cup.