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2020vision Merchants Connected ArchivesDavid Verghese - Junior Mastermind Champion 2007
Junior Mastermind champion, David Verghese, attributes his success to "reading, reading and more reading!" The ten year old from Wigan, who is a pupil at Merchant Taylors' Junior Boys' School in Crosby, said, "I have a passion for books. I read for at least two hours every night, often more."
David was the youngest of all the 16 finalists whom the BBC team had selected from hundreds of applicants from across the British Isles. His mum Ramna Verghese said: "David had been wanting to appear in Junior Mastermind ever since he first watched it three years ago but the rules were quite clear: not younger than ten years! After a few forms filled, an on-camera audition and interviews over the phone he got the news he had been wanting to hear since he was seven."
A film buff and an avid reader, especially of Science Fiction, David answered questions on the ‘Jurassic Park Trilogy', for his heats while his specialist subject for the final was the life and work of Star Wars Director George Lucas. He said: "I am a big fan of Sci Fi and I think ‘Star Wars' is the absolute Gold Standard for Sci-Fi fans around the world."
This summer he attended the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Celebration held in London in July with his whole family and was weaned on a diet of ‘Star Wars' by his dad, George, who is also a fan of the film series. David said: "My interest in Science Fiction is not restricted to just watching movies. I love reading it and three of my all time favourites are J.R.R.Tolkien, H.G.Wells and last but not the least Isaac Asimov. I can read them again and again and not get bored!"
David is the captain of the Merchant Taylors' Junior Boys' school quiz team which recently won the finals of the North West Association of Junior Independent Schools' General Knowledge Competition. He said: "I love the challenge of quizzes. I don't get nervous. I put everything else out of my mind and try to focus on the questions."
The son of two doctors, David says that his brother James, who is only six, also has a wide general knowledge. "I am not allowed to enter this competition again but I am looking forward to presenting the trophy to next year's winner. Hopefully, James will be able to follow in my footsteps sometime in the future."
David is aiming to study at either Cambridge or MIT, Massachusetts and would ultimately like to pursue his dream of becoming a film director. Headmaster of Merchant Taylors' Boys' Junior School, Mr Brian Bennett, said: "David is a Gifted and Talented child who has developed his natural gifts through voracious reading. More importantly he is a pleasure to teach and is extremely popular with his many friends, who have been willing him to win." David's mum added: " David always loved reading. He has this insatiable quest for knowledge. Junior Mastermind was just another opportunity for him to do some more in-depth reading and to challenge himself."
David looks proudly at his Junior Mastermind Trophy
If you want to test yourself, David suggests these questions:
Which was Shakespeare's last play?
How would you describe an arid landscape?
Where are the Nazca Lines?
Answers: The Tempest, Dry and Peru.
David added: "I am not perfect, far from it. When they asked me what the term is for a horse's foot I just said ‘paw', I just couldn't think."
Well done to you David. We're all very proud of your fantastic achievement!