Honda Campus All-Star Challenge team headed to nationals

Jackson State University’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) team placed second in the National Qualifying Tournaments, which took place on Feb. 6 on the campus of Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga.

The team has guaranteed their chance to compete at Nationals during the month of April in Torrance, Calif.

The team competed in a total of six games against some of America’s top Historically Black College and Universities, including Alabama State University, Florida A & M University, and Tuskegee University just to name a few.

The games are composed of general knowledge trivia, pop culture, literature, Greek mythology, current events, and African-American history.  Each game consists of three face-off rounds that allow the team to confer only on the bonus questions. The team is also given the opportunity to work together during the final portion of the game which is called the Ultimate Challenge.

Some of the members of the team were pleased with the team’s performance and opportunity to compete in nationals.

“I’m really excited, I’ve actually been excited since yesterday,” said Madison Pennaman, a senior modern foreign language major from Jackson, Miss.

Members of the team believe that confidence and support played a major role in the team’s success.

“I believe that we are well prepared for today’s competition. My teammates and I have practiced and studied hard, and I have an abundant amount of confidence that we will make it to nationals,” said team captain James Meeks, a senior finance major from Jackson, Miss.

In the first game against Bethune-Cookman University, JSU dominated with a final score of 570-385.

Some team members stated they experienced moments of apprehension as the competition got tougher.

“Although I’m excited, I am nervous as well. We have some strong competitors, but the challenge comes with getting in on the buzzer,” said Diane Blue, a sophomore criminal justice major from Chicago, Ill.

By the end of the first four games, JSU had won three games and lost one. The team did not let this deter them.

It was announced that Jackson State was tied with Tennessee State for a place to compete in the semi-finals. However, after recalculating the points, it was decided that Jackson State would compete in the semi-finals against FAMU. JSU won the match with a final score of 525-350.

Although the team didn’t win the final round against Alabama State, they still qualified to compete at nationals.  The members that competed during the NQTs will also compete as the national’s team.

HCASC members chosen to compete are chosen from the complete team based upon practice attendance, retaining of content, and their strengths in different areas of trivia. The team consists of 25 members, but only four compete on the national team.

Joshua Cotton, professor of history at JSU, serves as HCASC coach and Farah Christmas, history instructor at JSU, is the campus coordinator for the team.

Every year, members search for students to join the team, so they can have a chance to experience what some believe to be a moment of a lifetime.

“Anybody can join and be a part of the game. If you are good at pop culture or trivia, you should join the team. Even if you aren’t well versed in certain areas and certain subjects, you can help us train and go places, as well as get a chance to participate with us,” said Pennaman.

According to the HCASC website, the HCASC began in 1989 and is the first–ever academic competition between students at America’s HBCUs. Throughout its twenty year history, HCASC has been the only annual academic competition between the nation’s HBCUs, touching over 50,000 students and awarding monetary grants to participating schools.

The HCASC was created to highlight the intellectual and competitive skills of HBCU students. More than $7.5 million in grants from Honda have provided support for book and tuition scholarships, facilities upgrades, and other investments to improve the student experience.