![]() Twenty-five students got their hands on unpublished puzzles, which come courtesy of Will Shortz, the newspaper’s puzzle master. A couple of those puzzles will be in print this week.Īssociate Dean Neil Gerard, a New York native who used to pass the time on the city’s subway completing the crossword puzzle, spearheaded the contest and explained the rules. The top eight finishers go to the final round.” “The Tuesday puzzle you’ll get 12 minutes and then we’ll take a break. The participants receive points for each correct letter and extra points for finishing a perfect puzzle early. “Do we get lifelines?” joked Frank Langan. “Like can we call a friend?”īut few needed lifelines. The thing about crossword puzzle enthusiasts is, those who enjoy the word game enough to spend an evening competing are usually quite good. One student is so good in fact, he wasn’t allowed to compete. Joel Fagliano, a first year Pomona College student who helped organize the contest, constructs crossword puzzles and has already published three in the New York Times – among them a Saturday puzzle, the most difficult of the week. Two more of Fagliano’s puzzles are scheduled to be published in the near future. “I started doing them with my dad in middle school,” Fagliano said about the beginnings of his hobby. “Then in 10th grade, I decided to write one.”Īt first, Fagliano got a lot of rejection letters. Shortz, who is much revered in the puzzle world, offered sage advice such as avoid awkward abbreviations or clues that are too obscure. Fagliano learned in time and later became one of the few people his age to have something published in the New York Times. The college seems to be teeming with puzzle whizzes. Xan Vongsathorn, who graduated from the school in 2009, had his puzzle published on the weekend of his graduation. Michael Sharp, who graduated in 1991, maintains a popular blog that chronicles his experience completing the New York Times puzzle. Sharp, who writes under the alias Rex Parker, created the blog in 2006 by chance. The English teacher at Binghamton University in upstate New York was learning about the blog concept and playing around when he decided to write about what he knows best – doing the crossword puzzle. Today, the Rex Parker Does the NY Times Crossword Puzzle blog receives 25,000 hits every day. It’s unclear why the school produces so many puzzle experts. ![]() It could be because the school has a close relationship with the newspaper. The college receives 150 copies of the New York Times on weekdays and the paper’s Executive Editor, Bill Keller, is an alum.īittman, a senior at the college, has a different theory. “I think it’s the nerd per capita ratio,” she said. Whatever the reason, Sharp, who got into the crossword habit at Pomona College, is pleased. “I have nothing to do with it, but it’s nice to see.”īack at the Smith Campus Center, participants of the contest were furiously scribbling, erasing and gently pulling their hair.įour letters, Star Trek villain. Scott Jespersen was the first to complete the puzzle. The second round, the Tuesday puzzle, was much more difficult.įour letters, pre-Communist autocrat. Licensed Email: enter the licensed email for this product.įinally, just click the "Submit" button and our customer service representative will contact you within 1 - 2 working days.Nine letters, Aston Martin-driving agent.Card holder name: Enter the Card holder for the payment you made.Please provide additional details: Just describe your purpose simply. ![]() Title: Just simply describe your purpose, such as "I want to exchange a product" or "I request a refund".If you can't find the proper one, just choose any one of them. Problem Type: Select one of the listed problems.Now, you need to enter your refund information below: Step 3: After you enter your order number and click the "Confirm" button, the system will confirm and list your purchase information. Please check your registration information email or log into your Wondershare ID account to find your order number. Note: If you don't know what your order number is. Step 2: Enter your order number and click "Confirm". If you want to request a refund, please follow the instructions below:
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