Scrabble for Cheaters Tournament Yields Big Win (and Words) for Brooklyn Nonprofit

RELATED: Photos from the Scrabble for Cheaters TournamentDays after Scrabble trademark holders Hasbro and Mattel asked Facebook to shut down Scrabulous, its online version of the word game, a Scrabble tournament on Saturday in Park Slope showed 20- and 30-somethings’ enthusiasm for the original version – with a few adjustments.The nonprofit literary-education center 826NYC, which helps students between the ages of six and 18 with creative and expository writing skills, organized its first Scrabble for Cheaters tournament, a gambit that raised $50,000 for the three-year-old organization.In the weeks prior to the tournament, teams raised money online to pay for the ability to cheat: rejecting opposing teams’ words, buying vowels or the letters q, x, or z, or the most expensive cheat of all —for $500, the ability to make up a word. The latter resulted in gibberish words that spanned the width of the game board.The winning team was the Fightin’ Caziques, helmed by the deputy editor of Good Magazine, Morgan Clendaniel, and another preppily-clad wordsmith, Gideon Friedman. Placing second were the High Maintenance Shorties, consisting of a professor of preventive medicine, Lauren Hale, and a museum exhibit designer, Becca Widiss.“We talked a lot during the game about how hard it’s going to be to go back to regular Scrabble,” Ms. Widiss said. “There was a lot of talk about making cheaters Scrabble a new sport.”Humorist and author John Hodgman, who personifies a PC in Apple’s “Get a Mac” advertising campaign, and is on the board of 826NYC, played in the tournament with John Oliver, a writer for “The Daily Show.” Their team, Hodgmoliver, was eliminated in the first round.The Prospering Cheaters team, dressed to cheat in T-shirts printed with two-letter words, were eliminated in the third round. “The competition was fierce,” team leader Emily Farris, author of a forthcoming cookbook about casseroles, said.Although there were a few tense moments, on the whole, the atmosphere was convivial. Play began at noon in the 826NYC Writing Center, located behind the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. storefront, and lasted for seven hours. Several teams headed to Bonnie’s Grill afterward to celebrate their cheating ways.826NYC’s director of development, Jennifer Snow, said the organization is planning to organize annual “cheater” events, but was unsure whether Scrabble will remain the sport. The Los Angeles chapter of 826 recently hosted a Mini Golf for Cheaters Cup.Judging from the Saturday tournament, however, it seems that 826NYC and Scrabble are inseparable.Antiques Show May Tilt More Toward the ModernRELATED: Photos from the Winter Antiques Show Gala PreviewThe executive director of the Winter Antiques Show, Catherine Sweeney Singer, made a statement about the fair’s future at the gala preview on Thursday night with her choice of jewelry: a bendable metal necklace by Massimo and Lella Vignelli.Worn up, the necklace resembled a 17th-century ruff; worn down, it looked like a piece of the 21st century.“We’re talking about making the show more contemporary,” Ms. Sweeney Singer said after demonstrating both looks.The show’s vetting committee plans to have serious discussions about the rules governing the age of wares allowed in the show at meetings later this week, Ms. Sweeney Singer said.Currently, objects must be at least 100 years old; exceptions are made for jewelry and paintings, which must be at least 60 years old.Given the current penchants for placing antiques in modern homes and mixing antiques with modern objects, the show should be applauded for addressing how to stay relevant. It was precisely the mixture of the old and the new – that is, furniture from the 1930s through the 1960s – that made the last installment of the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris so exciting.So I’ll be waiting to see what interesting jewelry Ms. Sweeney Singer decides to wear to the show next year, or even as soon as Thursday night, when the show holds a gala viewing for young collectors.One thing that is not up for discussion is the show’s beneficiary, East Side House Settlement, whose staff and benefactors work tirelessly to ensure the show’s success. The preview alone raised $1 million for the Bronx nonprofit serving youth, seniors, and families. Proceeds continue to add up from the $20 ticket sales through the closing day of the show, January 27.agordon@nysun.com

Scrabble for Cheaters Tournament Yields Big Win (and Words) for Brooklyn Nonprofit

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