The Illuminati Quiz is an annual Indian quiz contest that began on 8 December 2008; the students of the Model Engineering College (MEC) organized this south India level quiz competition as a tribute and a memorial to Sandeep Menon (1984-2008). In 2004 "The Illuminatus",[1] or Menon, as he was commonly called, started the community called "The Illuminati",[2] whose aim is to promote and continue the quizzing tradition both within college and with the extended community. It has conducted over 120 intra- and inter- collegiate quizzes to date.[2] In addition, three annual versions of The Illuminati Quiz have been conducted at a South India level.[2] The quiz consists of an online quizzing competition and a preliminary written round in which six qualifying teams make it to the final round.
In the third Illuminati quiz on 7 August 2010, the Quiz Master was Sadashiv N., and the winners were Amit R, RNSIT Bangalore, and Vineeth Raj, RVCE Bangalore, in first place; Pramod, NIT Trichy and Harish, SVCE Chennai, in second; and Varun Rajiv and Raghuram Cadambi, NLS Bangalore, in third. The Online Quizzer was Karthik Sivaram.[2][3][4][5] Six teams qualified for the final leg of the event. The questions included, "name the connection between Ruy Lopez de Segura, a 16th century Spanish priest, Giuoco Piano, 17th century Italian monk, and Moheschunder Bannerjee from Bengal".[citation needed]
In its second edition, held on 8 August 2009, Nagadarsan Suresh was the quiz master. Nakul P Sangolli, RVCE, Bangalore, won the online quiz and the winners for the main event were Nakul P. Sangoli and Chaitanya G. Hegde RVCE, first place, Rohit S. and Balaji B, CEG & SRM, second, and Rahul Gupta and Sudarshan M. A. RVCE, third.[citation needed]
The very first TIQ, held on 8 December 2008, had Thejaswi Udupa from the Karnataka Quiz Association as the quiz master. Geo Thomas was the online quizzer in the first format of the game.[6][7]
Sandeep Menon, former student of the Model Engineering College (MEC) at Thrikkakara, died from a brain tumour on 3 May 2008. In his memory, Menon's parents started a foundation called the Sandeep Menon Foundation that helps cancer patients and students who are not able to finance their studies.[citation needed]
Its founder's saying that the spirit of quizzing should drive the Illuminati forward to never miss an event[2] has become their unofficial motto, manifesting itself as the weekly TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) after school quizzes.[1] It conducts internal quizzes and trains newcomers.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c All set for The Illuminati quiz Hindu.com
- ^ a b c d e A battle of brains in memory of a quiz enthusiast; hindu.com
- ^ Illuminati Quiz, 1 September 2010, The Hindu
- ^ Illuminati Quiz, Kochi, 1 August 2010, Special Correspondent, thehindu.com
- ^ Bangalore students top Illuminati Quiz; expressbuzz.com, New Indian Express
- ^ Keeping alive a precious memory; hindu.com
- ^ "Quiz on 8 December"[usurped] Staff reporter, The Hindu, hinduonnet.com [dead link]