S30: Evan & Henry

[Geenee]

#TeamYale

[Geenee]

Name: Henry Zhang
Age: 22

Instagram: @HenryTZhang
Twitter: @HenryTZhang

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Current occupation: Management Consultant

Describe what you do: I work on a team that helps companies, governments, and NGOs improve their performance and realize their goals.

Three words to describe you: Entrepreneurial, caring, and ambitious.

g>Favorite hobbies: Soccer, coding, and ukulele.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
I taught myself to code and created a website to provide debate preparation materials to disadvantaged students.

What scares you most about traveling?
Coming back injured—wouldn't want to worry my mom while I get these opportunities to travel.

What excites you most about traveling?
Seeing, experiencing, and eating entirely new things and getting to share these experiences with people I care about.

What country and place would you most like to visit and why?
Rio de Janeiro. I've never been to Brazil or even South America, and the place has a real holistic appeal to me. Also, I'm a big soccer fan and I'd love to play with locals on the beach.

What do you hope to accomplish by running the race (other than winning $1 million)?
I think Evan and I, though young, have a serious relationship, and running the race, I'm hoping to learn lots more about her and about us. Also, it'll be an awesome travel experience!


Name: Evan Lynyak
Age: 22

Instagram: @evan.lynyak

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Current occupation: Management Consultant

Describe what you do: I work on a team that helps companies, governments, and NGOs improve their performance and realize their goals.

Three words to describe you: Thoughtful, sarcastic, and compassionate.

Favorite hobbies: Watching movies and reading.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
As a junior in college, I was the seventh overall best speaker out of more than 700 individual competitors at the 2016 World Universities Debating Championship, making me the top ranking female debater that year.

What scares you most about traveling?
Getting into a car accident or otherwise seriously injured while being far from family and without understanding the medical system.

What excites you most about traveling?
Traveling uniquely humbles me; I feel insignificant in such a big, amazing world, but that thought motivates me to savor life.

What country and place would you most like to visit and why?
Israel, as it is so rich with historical and cultural significance.

What do you hope to accomplish by running the race (other than winning $1 million)?
Despite having only dated for a year and a half, I view my relationship with Henry as a serious one, and would like to learn more about how we function as a team. Additionally, running the race and getting as far as possible would allow me to see the world and have a unique adventure!

[Roccos Brother]

I'll be rooting for them. I hope to see their intelligence come into play and give them a competitive edge above the other teams.

[Sayla Vee]

Me too.  At least I think so from the little info we've been given about them. 

[Geenee]

Thirded.

[displayname]

They seem nice.

 

Watch them want to kill each other starting at 16:50 of the first episode, now that I've said that.

[Geenee]

Compared to the other two M/F teams, there's no worry of jinxing!

[displayname]

I sure hope so. Or if they do meltdown, hope it's more Blair/Hayley than... well, take your pick.

[Roccos Brother]

I missed the first half of tonight's premiere, from the little I have seen so far, I genuinely find these two to be quite adorable.

[Lingo]

Oh, so they ARE dating. I wasn't sure while I was watching. At first I assumed they were, but then I heard Evan call Henry "buddy", which I thought was kind of a strange word to call your boyfriend!

[Lady Calypso]

So, I found this page of the Yale Debaters Association. I'm cracking up at Evan's bio, in particular:

Quote

President/Director of Membership: Evan Lynyak. Evan is a senior in Morse College majoring in History. Originally from Los Angeles, she misses the California winters a great deal. She did not do much debate in high school, but is making up lost time in both the American and British Parliamentary styles in college. Before serving on board, Evan was one of the two assistant tournament directors for the Yale IV. Outside of debate, Evan enjoys watching basketball, cooking, and looking at pictures of fat animals (bulldogs, walruses, etc).

Reading this? Completely endeared me to the team even more. It's official; they're my number 1 (unless they do something to piss me off). 

It also seems like they had just graduated a few months before the filming of the season. It's actually pretty smart of them to get this opportunity out of the way before they start their careers. They can let loose after graduation and have a little fun with traveling. I find myself really liking this team the more I think about it. 

[displayname]

On 12/24/2017 at 8:55 AM, fan94 said:

Watch them want to kill each other starting at 16:50 of the first episode, now that I've said that.

I was wrong! :')

[Geenee]

16 minutes ago, fan94 said:

I was wrong! :')

Whew, they only appeared like Vanck and Ashton. ;)

[Pallas]

11 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

"Outside of debate, Evan enjoys watching basketball, cooking, and looking at pictures of fat animals (bulldogs, walruses, etc)."

This gives context to the insinuation -- made in the episode thread -- that Evan was a little too thrilled when she and her partner were called "wizards" by an NBA All-Star. She watches basketball. Enough to place that pastime first in a list that includes chubby-beastie-viewing. At the same time, I can see how any young person with her nervous energy (noted by another poster) would in fact vibrate in response to both the teasing compliment, and the imposing public cool and physical poise of a longtime professional athlete. 

[Special K]

Strange how they both answered the "what scares you about traveling" question by discussing possibly getting sick or injured.

Seems bizarre that 22-year-olds would have that as the front-of-mind worry.  At least they are of like mind.

[displayname]

On 1/5/2018 at 1:20 PM, Special K said:

Seems bizarre that 22-year-olds would have that as the front-of-mind worry.  At least they are of like mind.

What would you expect from 22-year-olds, then?

[Geenee]

3 hours ago, fan94 said:

What would you expect from 22-year-olds, then?

Seconding this query.

[Special K]

On 1/6/2018 at 4:00 PM, fan94 said:

What would you expect from 22-year-olds, then?

I'd expect things like getting lost, not knowing how to communicate with locals, making cultural faux pas, missing flights, getting scammed.  Stuff like that.  Most young people don't worry about their health quite yet, in my experience.

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, Special K said:

I'd expect things like getting lost, not knowing how to communicate with locals, making cultural faux pas, missing flights, getting scammed.  Stuff like that.  Most young people don't worry about their health quite yet, in my experience.

It depends on the 22 year old. For example, I'm 24 and I would be quite a worrier about this kind of stuff. I constantly worry about getting lost, about losing stuff, and about getting scammed in new situations, which is why I overprepare. There's more aware 22 year olds out there. I also see that Evan and Henry both mentioned being worried about getting hurt and connecting it to their family. There are very responsible and mature young adults out there. I think it's an easy assumption that because these young adults are going on a reality show that they're irresponsible, hard core partiers, fame-hungry, etc. But there really are people out there who aren't like that, who are responsible, who worry about their health and their safety. Seeing as both Evan and Henry appear to be quite smart, they may have their weaknesses in other areas, but it's nice to see them thinking about the normal stuff that many would be worrying about. 

That being said, we only had one episode with Evan and Henry, so we could see a different side to them at any point before their elimination. 

[Special K]

2 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

There are very responsible and mature young adults out there. I think it's an easy assumption that because these young adults are going on a reality show that they're irresponsible, hard core partiers, fame-hungry, etc. But there really are people out there who aren't like that, who are responsible, who worry about their health and their safety.

It was only an observation based on my experience and with being young myself (once:).  Of course YMMV.  I absolutely don't consider it a matter of responsibility or wisdom at all, just that younger people who have not dealt with any significant health issues tend not to worry about health the way older people do, whose bodies have started to manifest the effects of age/illness. 

If you have older people in your life, just listen to the things they talk about!!  :)

[chaifan]

On 1/6/2018 at 4:00 PM, fan94 said:

What would you expect from 22-year-olds, then?

 

4 hours ago, Special K said:

I'd expect things like getting lost, not knowing how to communicate with locals, making cultural faux pas, missing flights, getting scammed.  Stuff like that.  Most young people don't worry about their health quite yet, in my experience.

 

IMO given their nerd cred, Evan & Henry's answers make perfect sense.  None of the things Special K mentioned are life threatening, they are merely embarrassments or inconveniences.  In many places getting sick/injured could be, and Evan & Henry know that.  So it could be the other things would be of concern to them, but just not be the thing that scares them "the most".  Also, in context of the race, getting sick or injured is a sure fire way to coming in last.  It looks like they're fans, so they would know that injuries have taken out other teams in the past.

[Roccos Brother]

13 hours ago, Special K said:

I'd expect things like getting lost, not knowing how to communicate with locals, making cultural faux pas, missing flights, getting scammed.  Stuff like that.  Most young people don't worry about their health quite yet, in my experience.

I think that definitely rings true for me. When I was younger and had limited travel experience, those were definitely my biggest fears. I gave little thought to issues of heat exhaustion or food poisoning - until it actually happened to me in a third world country. Perhaps Evan and Henry have both traveled before and realize that even if you get lost, you can figure it out. Issues like getting sick and how your body reacts to foreign environments - is much harder to predict and/or control.

[Geenee]

11 hours ago, chaifan said:

 

 

IMO given their nerd cred, Evan & Henry's answers make perfect sense.  None of the things Special K mentioned are life threatening, they are merely embarrassments or inconveniences.  In many places getting sick/injured could be, and Evan & Henry know that.  So it could be the other things would be of concern to them, but just not be the thing that scares them "the most".  Also, in context of the race, getting sick or injured is a sure fire way to coming in last.  It looks like they're fans, so they would know that injuries have taken out other teams in the past.

#TeamYale is ahead of the curve for sure.

[Lady Calypso]

8 hours ago, Roccos Brother said:

I think that definitely rings true for me. When I was younger and had limited travel experience, those were definitely my biggest fears. I gave little thought to issues of heat exhaustion or food poisoning - until it actually happened to me in a third world country. Perhaps Evan and Henry have both traveled before and realize that even if you get lost, you can figure it out. Issues like getting sick and how your body reacts to foreign environments - is much harder to predict and/or control.

From what I've read on their Yale Debate Team stuff, they have done travelling before to other countries in order to compete, so they might very well be aware of these things. Maybe one of them did get sick or injured while travelling, or they had a friend who did. Or maybe that's just what was ingrained into their heads by their families when they did go travel for their debate team. 

[ProfCrash]

They are both serious debaters, I suspect that they know the importance of research and are pretty good at retaining information. Not only have they travelled, they probably did their research and know all about food poisoning, dehydration and other issues. I suspect that they are pretty well prepared and ready for the race.

[Guest]

I kind of wonder how they'll do with killer fatigue.  Most type A people I know, which they seem to be, need that recharge time or they're prone to meltdowns.  Myself included!  Though many are that rare breed that get by fine on 4 hours a night, too.  

[Geenee]

[scrb]

They won the Morocco leg.

She spoke some Arabic but I think they chose the correct detour.  The other one would have drained Henry after all the running around they did.

Now if their brains allowed them to correctly determine which detour would be more quickly completed, that would be some feat but most of the other teams chose the belly dancer detour.

[Geenee]

[chaifan]

I know it's early in the game, but Evan and Henry are quickly becoming my favorite "dating couple" team ever.  They are so nice and respectful to each other, and encouraging.  I know it's early and we know what killer fatigue can do to people, but they are starting out so much better than pretty much any other couple I can remember.   I like the above clip - "Henry,  you're getting fish all over my arms."  "Sorry."  "That's ok, you're just going to have to hug me."  Yeah, that's just cute. 

[Lady Calypso]

11 hours ago, chaifan said:

I know it's early in the game, but Evan and Henry are quickly becoming my favorite "dating couple" team ever.  They are so nice and respectful to each other, and encouraging.  I know it's early and we know what killer fatigue can do to people, but they are starting out so much better than pretty much any other couple I can remember.   I like the above clip - "Henry,  you're getting fish all over my arms."  "Sorry."  "That's ok, you're just going to have to hug me."  Yeah, that's just cute. 

I think there's always a fine line with couples on reality TV which can either be cute or annoying. Luckily, these two are just too cute for me. Perhaps they get on my nerves later, but I find their relationship completely adorable to watch onscreen. I couldn't help but smile when Evan/Henry got to the mat in this last episode and in the span of a minute of edited airtime from that, Evan kissed Henry's cheek three times, but not in some obnoxious PDA way. It felt like it was due to her being completely excited with their first place win, even with three other teams at the mat as well. 

I'm really surprised at how much I am rooting for them. 

[ProfCrash]

I suspect that these two are going to be less prone to killer fatigue issues then other teams. They are both high level debaters. That means that they deal with competitions were they are up late researching and developing arguments that they then have to be able to use convincingly in front of judges. They are probably use to having to function at a high level and work together in stressful situations which means that they will have developed patterns of behaviors that will be helpful during the race. 

I think that they are my favorite team in the race because they represent a totally different stereotype and they are more then holding their own. They are positive, supportive and determined. I think we are going to be surprised at how well they do.

[displayname]

I just noticed she has a septum piercing!

[Special K]

33 minutes ago, fan94 said:

I just noticed she has a septum piercing!

Yeah, when did that happen?  While she was getting her tooth fixed?  :)

Or maybe she just put in the jewelry?

I'm not a fan.  It always makes me think of oxen or slavery.

[Fukui San]

I took a look to see if I could find any videos of these guys in their debate element. Here's Evan in a debate:

And here's Henry:

 

I was interested in looking this up as I'd heard a RadioLab podcast about competitive debate about two African American debaters from Emporia State upsetting big names to win a national championship using a controversial debate strategy. However, that's almost certainly a different flavor of debate than what Evan and Henry practice in these videos. Evan, Henry and the other debaters above sound more or less like people talking. All of the debaters in the RadioLab piece sound like speed rappers or the Micro Machines guy from way back, Here's a video of that debate:

I don't even know how to comprehend what's going on here!

Edited January 25, 2018 by Fukui San

[displayname]

I've never watched competitive debating before. Why are all of them so... zealous?

 

I'm glad I've never watched this stuff before.

Edited January 25, 2018 by fan94

[Swingdancefan]

Quote

On 1/25/2018 at 11:32 AM, fan94 said:

I've never watched competitive debating before. Why are all of them so... zealous?

 

 

Coming out of lurkdom just because I coach high school speech and debate. The speed-talking is called spreading and I hate it. In a competition that's all about communication, this isn't communication. Its especially prevalent in policy debate, and it's why we say policy debaters have no souls. Also, in policy debate, everything leads to nuclear war. They sound so zealous because, even though they are prepared to debate either side of the topic, the side they're debating this round is obviously the one they really believe in!

Someone in an episode thread expected them to sound more intellectual because they're debaters. If you get them on a case topicl they totally will. You should hear my kids discuss Catalan independence right now.

[displayname]

1 hour ago, Swingdancefan said:

Coming out of lurkdom just because I coach high school speech and debate. The speed-talking is called spreading and I hate it. In a competition that's all about communication, this isn't communication. Its especially prevalent in policy debate, and it's why we say policy debaters have no souls. Also, in policy debate, everything leads to nuclear war. They sound so zealous because, even though they are prepared to debate either side of the topic, the side they're debating this round is obviously the one they really believe in!

Someone in an episode thread expected them to sound more intellectual because they're debaters. If you get them on a case topicl they totally will. You should hear my kids discuss Catalan independence right now.

I just... expected them to be calmer, like in a debate you see on TV. Calmer, slower, better voice modulation, better diction... They just sound like a kid in a candy store. :/ Too excited, breathless talking about what they like. Even the people who are asking questions.

 

I can't even catch on to what they're saying. How is this supposed to disseminate information and personal opinion? Isn't the method and object of debate oriented towards accruing and spreading knowledge?

Edited January 29, 2018 by fan94

[Swingdancefan]

On 1/28/2018 at 10:28 PM, fan94 said:

can't even catch on to what they're saying. How is this supposed to disseminate information and personal opinion? Isn't the method and object of debate oriented towards accruing and spreading knowledge?

I don't get it either,  and if they try it when I'm judging, they get marked down. I think the underlying cause is that they want to get as much information out as they can in the time allowed, so their opponents can't rebut every point they make. If a point goes unrebutted, you win that part of the argument.

Topic: we were so hoping these two would do the lecture detour tonight. As debaters, they are used to listening to the details, and they would have rocked that task.

[DrScottie]

On 1/28/2018 at 11:52 PM, Swingdancefan said:

Coming out of lurkdom just because I coach high school speech and debate. The speed-talking is called spreading and I hate it. In a competition that's all about communication, this isn't communication. Its especially prevalent in policy debate, and it's why we say policy debaters have no souls. Also, in policy debate, everything leads to nuclear war. They sound so zealous because, even though they are prepared to debate either side of the topic, the side they're debating this round is obviously the one they really believe in!

I used to do policy debate in high school and had to learn spreading. It sounds too much like being an auctioneer. At least when I was judging, it gave me a little time to keep the flow. Yes, everything leads to nuclear war or apocalyptic global warming. Going neg was so much easier than the affirmative: Topicality, counterplans, and the global warming / nuclear option. I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but there was a snow storm going on and my rebuttal was: "Look outside, there's a foot and a half of snow out there! I'd love global warming right about now!" We lost the debate, but I did win an award for style points. 

It's why I enjoyed Lincoln / Douglas debates so much more, but I didn't get to do that until Junior year.  

[Lady Calypso]

So, I've been reading some of the recaps from other racers about the show itself, and it sounds like people didn't like Evan/Henry during the race, because they kept to themselves and didn't make friends. Evan, in particular, seems to be rubbing people off the wrong way. After last night's episode, I understand that. I still enjoy their team, and I still like Evan, but I kind of get it. 

Is it a shame that she was aggressive toward Henry during the beer task? Of course it is. But I think about if I was on the race, and I can get very anxious in high stress situations. I am also a perfectionist to an extent, so I can see myself being more like Evan in that type of situation, which may make me seem bitchy and controlling. 

Unless she goes full nuclear on Henry and explodes every piece of anger on him, I'm leaning toward giving her the benefit of the doubt that she's really not this nightmare that Henry has to put up with. At least, I really want to believe that Evan's still pretty good as a person, but is just flawed and sometimes lets the stress get to her. At least she's not unbearable, like Brittany is.

[ProfCrash]

16 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

So, I've been reading some of the recaps from other racers about the show itself, and it sounds like people didn't like Evan/Henry during the race, because they kept to themselves and didn't make friends. Evan, in particular, seems to be rubbing people off the wrong way. After last night's episode, I understand that. I still enjoy their team, and I still like Evan, but I kind of get it. 

Is it a shame that she was aggressive toward Henry during the beer task? Of course it is. But I think about if I was on the race, and I can get very anxious in high stress situations. I am also a perfectionist to an extent, so I can see myself being more like Evan in that type of situation, which may make me seem bitchy and controlling. 

Unless she goes full nuclear on Henry and explodes every piece of anger on him, I'm leaning toward giving her the benefit of the doubt that she's really not this nightmare that Henry has to put up with. At least, I really want to believe that Evan's still pretty good as a person, but is just flawed and sometimes lets the stress get to her. At least she's not unbearable, like Brittany is.

When she was asking about why he would want to take a cab she said that they had agreed to use Mass Transit when possible and Henry agreed. It sounds like they had a pre set plan that Evan is more wed to then Henry is. I think her question was legit and the discussion was civil and I don't have a problem with it. The pouring the beer thing caused me to raise an eyebrow, it struck me as a bit controlling and off the mark. I doubt that she will ever explode on Henry, she is far too in control of herself to allow that to happen. I will be more comfortable if I hear Henry push back and Evan accept Henry's idea. Right now, it feels like she is controlling the relationship and that is not healthy, even when done in a calm voice and without any yelling.

This is the first that we have seen of this behavior, I am hoping it was an anomaly.

[NutMeg]

The only thing that had bugged me about this team before was Evan's up speak - how she speaks like there's a question mark at the end of her sentence? Tonight I realised that she wasn't doing that with Henry, so maybe it's only on talking heads? I'll wait and see?  

[Mumbles]

On 2/1/2018 at 6:26 PM, NutMeg said:

 

The only thing that had bugged me about this team before was Evan's up speak - how she speaks like there's a question mark at the end of her sentence? Tonight I realised that she wasn't doing that with Henry, so maybe it's only on talking heads? I'll wait and see?  

 

Yeah it’s called uptalking. She also engages in vocal fry too. Both drove me nuts in early episodes. But now her bitchy entitled personality bothers me more. But yeah, those horrible vocal tics really make me wonder how much of a “debating champion” she is. Here’s betting Henry carried her in debate too, like he’s doing here. Someone needs to stage an intervention for him when this is all over. He seems like a nice guy who deserves better.

[NutMeg]

1 hour ago, Mumbles said:

Yeah it’s called uptalking. She also engages in vocal fry too. Both drove me nuts in early episodes. But now her bitchy entitled personality bothers me more. But yeah, those horrible vocal tics really make me wonder how much of a “debating champion” she is. Here’s betting Henry carried her in debate too, like he’s doing here. Someone needs to stage an intervention for him when this is all over. He seems like a nice guy who deserves better.

Hey, she might have been up against ever worse vocal fry in her debate! We'll never know...

Henry seems ok with the team dynamics, so there's that.

I'm still not crazy about that team, but they're doing well in the race. The beauty of not having a "love" or a "hate" team is that I can enjoy them all for what they are, and watch the race with an open mind :) Kind of like that time when I watched horse racing and was told of the pros and cons for each horse/jockey combo. [Talking of which, I miss Phil's "pros and cons", or am I misremembering, and was that only in foreign versions?]

[ByaNose]

They seem more in the friend zone then a couple. I keep forgetting they are dating. Anyway, Evan is a little annoying and thinks she’s (probably is) smarter then everyone else. Her and Henry do seem to work well together. Occasionally, they get in a little fights mostly because Henry needs to know every detail. There are 5 teams left and I could see them making the Final 3. I’m still thinking Kristi and Jen will win though. 

[Whimsy]

3 hours ago, ByaNose said:

They seem more in the friend zone then a couple. I keep forgetting they are dating. Anyway, Evan is a little annoying and thinks she’s (probably is) smarter then everyone else. Her and Henry do seem to work well together. Occasionally, they get in a little fights mostly because Henry needs to know every detail. There are 5 teams left and I could see them making the Final 3. I’m still thinking Kristi and Jen will win though. 

I agree and her little pecks in the cheek after Henry completes a task isn’t helping either. I don’t think they make a good couple and I think Evan is way to controlling. I hope she learns to let go some, but who knows. 

[scrb]

So of all the remaining final four teams, they're the odd team out, with all the other teams saying they're the weakest.

I think there's some resentment there because Evan and Henry are among the youngest contestants and probably has the most earnings potential, unless the Indy guys become perennial winners on the racing circuit and get big endorsement opportunities.

If they continue with their career path -- probably each among 6-figures now, then going to some top business school and then Wall Street or tech -- they will probably each be worth at least a million by their early or mid 30s.

So they're probably thinking why do they need a million now.  Even if they weren't in some lucrative fields, there would be a bias against the youngest getting a big windfall.

[Mumbles]

Quote

think there's some resentment there because Evan and Henry are among the youngest contestants and probably has the most earnings potential, unless the Indy guys become perennial winners on the racing circuit and get big endorsement opportunities.

Yeah I think their page says that they are "management consultants" which means they're assembling binders or creating Power Point presentations for low six figures a year.  So yeah I can see why the other players might be annoyed. Still, I guess if I liked this team more I'd say, it's their right. Like, Mike White has made a lot of money from writing and directing but he's one of my favorite players.

She seems the type to quit work after she gets her "MRS degree" but sweetie ain't gonna be giving it up for some scrub.

[Roccos Brother]

I don’t care what anyone says, I still adore this team. Even through their “arguments”, their nerdy antics and ways of speaking are endearing to me. Also, I find it ironic that they’re being called out for keeping to themselves. Um, anyone remember the cowboys whom did just that for THREE seasons?

I also completely agree with those theorizing that resentment towards them as a team, possibly stems from their earning potential as young, highly educated overachievers. I had been hypothesizing the same thing for a while.