20 Seconds to Glory: Hunter College H.S. Freshmen Win Nat. Economics Title

”For Marty, a cup of coffee and a piece of cake is the perfect snack. If the owner gave Marty a free piece of cake, how would her total utility of cake change?”

The question flashed on the screen. Four freshmen from Hunter College High School had 20 seconds to answer. Months of studying, practice presentations and Quiz Bowl drills had come down to a sudden-death tiebreaker against a team from China.

Hunter answered correctly, and applause erupted. Smiles replaced the tension on the faces of Ronav Shah, Ivy Ponda, Maile Meyoung Thung and Mihir Kumar. Guided by coach Ellen Fox, the four freshmen won first place in the David Ricardo Division of the National Economics Challenge.

Nearly 10,000 students competed nationwide before the finals at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in late May. Another Hunter team finished second nationally in the more advanced Adam Smith Division.

Straus News spoke with Shah and Ponda about pressure, teamwork and the moment they became national champions. Fox also brought the team’s trophies to the interview so the students could pose for photos.

Q: Were you able to sleep after winning?

Ponda: We were all really tired, but definitely excited.

Shah: I was very tired. We’d stayed up studying the night before. I think we got around six hours of sleep.

Ponda: We weren’t studying the entire time, though. We also had candy and did karaoke.

Q: What was the most stressful moment of the competition?

Ponda: Getting the presentation prompt. You prepare for months, but you don’t know what you’re going to get until that moment. Once I saw it, I felt relieved because I thought we’d be able to build a strong presentation.

Q: What was your presentation about?

Ponda: Aging populations and declining birth rates. We had to explain how those trends would affect the economy, which sectors would be impacted and what policies governments could use to address the issue.

Q: What was it like preparing a presentation in 25 minutes?

Ponda: It was surprisingly quiet. You could hear teams whispering, but everybody was focused on their own work.

Shah: Intense. We were in a conference room with three other teams. Everyone had a different prompt, and there was a giant timer counting down on the screen.

Honestly, preparing the presentation was more stressful than presenting it. During preparation, there’s time pressure. Once we had made the presentation, we were mostly explaining what we had already worked out.

Q: The Quiz Bowl seems completely different. What’s that experience like?

Shah: Usually, several of us know the answer already.

Ponda: Sometimes people disagree, but we’re good at trusting each other. If someone is very confident, we’re willing to trust them.

Right before the tiebreaker, there was a question where our team was debating two possible answers. We only had 20 seconds to decide. We ended up getting it right, which allowed us to force the tiebreaker.

Q: Hunter didn’t just win one division. Another Hunter team finished second nationally in the Adam Smith Division. Why do you think Hunter is able to send two teams that compete at such a high level?

Ponda: The older students mentor younger students and take the competition seriously. They’ve already been through the competition, so they know what works.

Shah: Hunter also has a lot of really talented students.

Q: What makes your team work so well together?

Ponda: We genuinely enjoy being around each other. We’re all freshmen, and we became close through the team. We have a really good bond.

Shah: One time, one of our teammates originally had the right answer, but at the last second we changed it to the wrong answer. She didn’t get upset. We’re very supportive and try to focus on the next question instead of dwelling on mistakes.

Q: What would surprise people most about the competition?

Shah: That it’s held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. It was really cool competing in such an important place.

Ponda: People might also be surprised by how friendly everyone is. Everyone wants to win, but teams still cheer for each other. When teams advanced to the next round, other competitors applauded for them.

Q: When you think about the competition, what’s the one moment you’ll never forget?

Shah: Getting the final question right and realizing we’d won. I remember feeling incredibly happy and relieved.