October 2023 – The game show “Who wants to be a Bazillionaire?” based on Webby-winning kids’ podcast Million Bazillion from Marketplace and presented by Greenlight came to O. Henry Middle School on Wednesday, September 27th. The stage was set in the big gym and students packed into the bleachers and were able to experience this educational game show that makes learning financial literacy fun.
Six kids were pre-selected to participate in the games: 7th graders Gage, Weston, and Felix were chosen to represent the blue team and 6th graders Hu-Die, Vince, and Emery were chosen to represent the yellow team. They followed the hosts on stage and played multiple games in which they had the opportunity to learn about saving and spending, risks versus safe decisions, prices in the past, present and future, and so much more. Their peers cheered them on as they competed to earn the most “Buzzucks” and win the game.
It was an intense competition, with kids screaming the names of both teams and cheering for their friends and classmates. Trevis, an assistant host, said he believes that it is good for any job or career to learn these things. The favorite game appeared to be one where Ms. Mann and Mr. Jurkovic dressed up in pig costumes and tried to catch money the students threw to them in big money bags. The yellow team ended up beating the blue team.
They then advanced to the bonus round, where they had the opportunity to win multiple prizes, such as a pizza party for their homeroom, the chance to pie Ms. Boltz, the O.Henry instrument teacher, or the chance to win a pass for the whole school to be able to listen ad-free to their favorite podcasts. It was a very exciting, suspenseful moment as Vince dropped the token into a board, where it bounced around and scored one of the prizes. They ended up scoring the pizza party. However, the crowd began to do something special. The entire crowd started to stamp their feet and chant “Pie Ms. Boltz!” until the principal gave in, and Vince from the yellow team was able to pie Ms. Boltz in the face. Everyone cheered and stamped their feet and laughed.
They applauded their peers and classmates and teachers for their amazing work and their good sportsmanship. Tuere Shard, an assistant host, when asked why she thought financial education was so important for kids, responded, “When I was a kid, we didn’t have financial education. I think it’s really important.” She’s glad to be able to educate kids on the things she didn’t get to learn about. Evie Wilson, a student witness, said, “It’s really fun and entertaining to watch.” Emery, a contestant on the yellow team, said this experience taught her the importance of saving her money. The students were able to learn about financial literacy while having fun and cheering on their friends and fellow students as they witnessed and participated in multiple entertaining challenges and games. It was an exciting day for O. Henry.
