After 20 competitions involving 74 New Jersey high school teams, Hightstown High School has been crowned the champion of the 21st Annual New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs High School Consumer Bowl.
With a score of 75 in the finals held today at the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton, Hightstown took first place. Irvington High School placed second with 55 points, and Moorestown Friends School took home third with a score of 45.
The competition, waged over three rounds, was tight, with Hightstown maintaining a lead through the second and third series of questions. The lightning round, with questions on such topics as beauty parlor regulations and rent-to-own businesses, provided the Mercer County school with enough of a cushion to pull out the victory.
The Consumer Bowl competition features teams of students who have studied the state’s consumer protection laws and regulations under the guidance of a teacher who functions as the team adviser. The competition takes place in a game-show format, with teams buzzing in to answer questions posed by a moderator from the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Hightstown had to compete against two other finalists who are no strangers to the Consumer Bowl championship round. Irvington won the competition in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Moorestown Friends won in 2016.
Each team had to win a county competition and a regional competition to reach the finals.
The Hightstown team’s teacher/adviser, David Teleposky, said the competition provided his students with not only knowledge but also life lessons they can carry with them.
“The students preparing for the Consumer Bowl itself has definitely helped in their own lives,” he said.
Consumer Bowl topics include home improvement contractors, fraudulent charities, credit repair and reporting, charitable giving and consumer fraud, among others.
The following students represented Hightstown High School in today’s final competition:
Jasman Singh, captain
Shivam Verma
Sree Chinta
Dhruv Samdani
Devashru Patel
Steven Cohen
John Titicula
The following students represented Irvington High School:
Oluchukwu Ibe, captain
Obodai Annan
Miraj Seepersad
Faith Northern
Zaynah Mohammed
The following students represented Moorestown Friends School:
Alex Horn, captain
Bailey Butterworth
John Barton
Alex Barrett
Joshua Strauss
Schools interested in competing in next year’s Consumer Bowl may contact the State Division of Consumer Affairs at 973-504-6441.