BY LEETAL PREZELMAYER
The new trivia app “HQ,” created by Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, is an online game show that is trending among Jericho students. The show is hosted by Scott Rogowsky whose signature introduction to the game’s questions, “Let’s get down to the nitty gritty” has resurrected this common phrase among teens.
The game occurs at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and only at 9:00 p.m. on weekends. Participants play for the cash reward, starting with a base of $2,000 during the week and rising up to $10,000 on Sunday nights. The entire reward for that game is split among all the winners, so unfortunately, the prize is usually divided. The money won is accessed through PayPal.
Jericho students enjoy playing HQ in groups. Sophomore Jason D. said, “I like to play with my family and friends, so I can hopefully make more money.” Additionally, sophomore Alexa A. said, “When I play with other people, they can help me get the right answers. It’s also more fun.” Discussing answers with other people while playing can increase the chances of moving on to the next question. As participants move on, the questions get harder. Junior Julia S. explained that when she plays, she enjoys “the thrill of getting the questions right.” She also said that she likes playing, but sometimes the app lags and kicks her out which can be frustrating.
Students are still in school when the first game of the day begins. This creates a conflict for students who want to play, but cannot use their phones during class. Freshman Brooke M. said, “Even though I’m in class, I play at 3:00 p.m. most days.” Students have developed a number of methods to play HQ while in class including hiding their phone under their desk, hiding it under a binder, and asking permission to use the restroom.
Some teachers have found a way to acknowledge the students’s preoccupation with this app. Chemistry teacher Mr. Croce now incorporates HQ into his lessons because when students ask him why they need to learn certain things in class, he likes to quip, “It’s to answer game show questions.” A student of Mr. Croce, sophomore Rachel S. said, “He took screenshots of some of the questions on HQ that pertained to the unit we were learning and incorporated them into the lesson. ” She added that this makes his lessons even more fun.
So far, we have no reports of a high schooler winning the game, but hopefully that is soon to change.
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