On Saturday, Stony Brook held its own version of the “The Amazing Race” as a resident assistant social. The event was organized by James College resident assistant Charlie Stoll, who put together a “Survivor” competition last year.
The event began in H Quad with 10 teams of two people. One person from each team would participate in three of six separate events in each quad, and the event ended with a challenge that both team members had to complete in the West Apartments.
The first event, “Counting Cards,” involved counting face cards on poster board displayed throughout H Quad. Freshman Mona Tsu-Tsui and sophomore Jeanette Tang of the White Team completed this challenge first and were then off to Mendelsohn to find two hidden pumpkins.
“I’m very confident, though everyone has a bike, I’ve got a secret weapon,” Tang said.
Although the White Team had a lead, the Black Team, comprising sophomores Chris Jordan and Brandon Blair, passed them on bikes as they were on the way to the next event at Roth Pond.
There was a delay in starting the Roth Pond water relay, so Blair and Jordan were awarded a five minute time bonus. They were followed by the White Team, then the Orange Team, freshmen Shannon Hehary and Russel Amore. Lucia Kolodiuk and Mike Penn, both freshmen on the Green-Blue Team arrived next, trailed by Team Fire, composed of freshman Melisa Terrill and sophomore Nicole Bansen, who is a Statesman staff writer.
The next event was a free shot at the Tabler basketball court, which left the Black team in the lead, then Orange and White. However, the next event at Roosevelt cost a large amount of time for all those involved. Answering a question wrong would take both team members, who were allowed to work together, down a path which they would not realize was the wrong one until the end.
The Black Team was the first to get to Kelly, where its members had to complete a riddle challenge. They were followed by the Green-Blue Team.
The final challenge, to be completed by both teammates at the West Apartments, was a “Minute to Win it” event that involved stacking index cards and plastic cups, then pulling out the cards so that the cups would fall on top of each other. This was the point where all other teams could catch up, making it anyone’s race.
In the end, the Black Team finished in fourth place, and were awarded “Night Owl” T-shirts donated by the Student Union. Third place winners Katelyn Gilbert and Peter Millien of the Red Team were given SBU water bottles from the Campus Bookstore. Team Fire won the second place prize, two $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards. The first place prize, two $50 Walmart gift cards, went to freshmen Raynell Carrido and Katrina Feri.
“It’s really cool,” Feri said. “I didn’t expect there to be so many different challenges.”
Stoll thanked the Residence Hall Directors for their $300 dollar donation to the event, Walmart, the Faculty Student Association and the Student Union for the prizes they donated, and all the resident assistants and students who volunteered to help with the race.
“It was a pretty good idea,” said Johnathan Mignola, a volunteer. “I give props to Charlie for coming up with it.”
