Levine ’71 Leads Mind Challenge to Keep Seniors Socializing

What is a group of raccoons called? What is the longest river in France? What college did Bob Dylan attend?

These are a few of the questions asked during the Mind Challenge, a trivia tournament for senior citizens co-created by Phil Levine ’71.

“Seniors need to use their minds regularly … and Mind Challenge enhances socialization, because loneliness is a very serious issue for seniors,” said Levine, who co-founded Mind Challenge with Art Greenberg seven years ago.

The Mind Challenge for the New Majority (its full name) is an in-person team trivia game played in more than 70 senior centers in Ohio.

Levine said Mind Challenge was supposed to be a side gig, but it’s taken off in popularity, with more than 800 people participating and testing their wits. The Mind Challenge is structured similarly to the NCAA March Madness tournament, with cash prizes going to the winning teams’ senior centers. The finals are the last week of May.

Trivia questions are made up by Levine and Greenberg, among others. “I look under Snapple bottle caps to get questions,” joked Levine.

The six-week tournament includes sponsors that Levine secured using the “practical approaches” he learned at Emerson College. Those skills were very instrumental in getting his first job, and throughout his career in radio, advertising, and sales.

“You have to start in late summer or early fall to get sponsors. You have to sell them early when they’re making up budgets for the forthcoming year,” said Levine. “You have to know that, and I’ve learned that.”

“I learned how to write commercials from [former Provost and faculty member] Gerry Kroeger,” said Levine. [Professor Emeritus Walter] Littlefield was very influential in how I communicate [in the professional world]. [Professor Emerita] Carol Hendrickson [was great]. [Professor Emeritus] Ken Cranell was cool, and I got to know him. He taught me about how you speak to people is critical.”

After graduating, Levine wanted to be an on-air announcer, or go into sales and advertising. He said classes on public speaking, debate, and creative writing helped him greatly. He started out as a disc jockey in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, then worked in sales in Rhode Island, and eventually moved to Cleveland, where his wife grew up.

Levine went on to own a radio station in Warren, Ohio, for several years, which, he said, broke even in his second year of owning it. He was a general manager of many radio stations throughout his career, and did national and regional sales for radio.

He said he enjoyed his career, but now he’s having fun leading the Mind Challenge. He appreciates that it’s a free and social activity for seniors. Some Mind Challenge contestants were strangers when they were teamed up, and now they’re friends, Levine said. And as a bonus, they’re working

“Pickleball is good for exercise, but you’ve got to exercise your mind. You’ve got to make sure you mind is always working,” said Levine.

Answers to the photo questions: 

1. State of Pennsylvania

2. Dragon or Snake Fruit

3. Hannah Gutierrez Reed (she was the person who loaded Alec Baldwin’s gun during the movie shoot)

4. King Kamehameha of Hawaii

5. Stealth Bomber

6. Stan Musial

7. Christian Louboutin

8. Atlantis-The Palm in Dubai