NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All Star Challenge (HCASC) team earned a spot in the top eight teams at the National Tournament held in Torrance, California. HCASC is a knowledge bowl competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) sponsored by the American Honda Motor Company, which supports HBCUs.
Members of the HCASC TSU team competes against Tuskegee University during the national competition in California. From left to right: Kelley Zumwalt, Tyler Vazquez and Morgan Gill.
This tournament brought together 32 HBCUs from around the country. The TSU team earned a total of $12,000 in grant money from American Honda for earning a spot in the top eight teams.
The team’s coach, Dr. John Miglietta, who is a professor of political science, said the HCASC is a unique competition that brings together scholars and showcases their knowledge from many HBCUs throughout the country.
“We are very grateful for the support that American Honda provides to HBCUs,” Miglietta said. “The grant money we receive will benefit both our students and our HCASC program.”
TSU’s HCASC team earns a spot in the quarter finals after competing on a national level in California. From left to right: Tyler Vazquez , coach, Dr. John Miglietta, Morgan Gill, team captain Cameron Malone and Kelley Zumwalt.
The tournament was divided into two parts, followed by a single-elimination playoff with the top two teams playing a best two out of three.
TSU played in the Purple Division with teams from Alabama A&M, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and Hampton University.
TSU compiled a 4-2 record, winning the division and advancing to the playoffs. TSU then lost a challenging match against Tuskegee University.
The team earned $10,000 in grant money from American Honda with an additional $2,000 grant due to one of the team players outstanding performance. Morgan Gill, a sophomore majoring in urban studies, was named the All-Star player in the Purple Division based on the number of toss up questions answered correctly.
TSU’s HCASC member Tyler Vazquez competing against a Tuskegee University student during a knowledge bowl competition in California.
“The team was very excited to finish in the top eight and play on the big stage,” Miglietta said. “It takes a great deal of preparation to get to that level.” The team is proud of its accomplishment and is preparing to win the overall competition next year.
The Team members are:
Cameron Malone (Captain), junior Electrical Engineering major from Oak Ridge, TN
Morgan Gill, sophomore Urban Studies major from Conyers, GA
Tyler Vazquez, sophomore Biology major from Winston-Salem, NC
Kelley Zumwalt, junior majoring in History, Political Science, and English from Loveland, CO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All‐Star Team is headed to the National Championship, with a chance to win the title and a $75,000 institutional grant from the motor company. The Honda Campus All-Star Championship (HCASC) consists of four‐student teams facing off in head‐to‐head competition, quickly answering questions about history, science, literature, religion, math, the arts, pop culture, and sports.
This is the 26th year TSU has participated in the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge, a competition that consists of 32 HBCU teams vying for the national title. This year’s campaign competition is April 17 in Torrance, California.
From left to right: Tyler Vazquez, Morgan Gill, John Miglietta (coach), Kelley Zumwalt, Cameron Malone are headed to the national championship in California. (Photo submitted)
The TSU scholars are Cameron Malone, the team’s captain who is a junior majoring in Electrical Engineering from Oak Ridge, TN, Kelley Zumwalt a senior majoring in History and Political Sciences from Nashville, TN, Morgan Gill, a sophomore majoring in Urban Studies/ Pre Law from Stockbridge, GA, and Tyler Vazquez a sophomore majoring in Biology and Pre‐Med from Winston Salem, NC.
Malone said the scholars made it to the playoffs last year, but are excited about qualifying for the national tournament this time. “We have a really good chance to win it all this year,” Malone said.
“The actual teamwork involved in our team sets us apart. We have confidence in our members when they are answering questions.”
The team coach is TSU Professor of Political Science, Dr. John Miglietta. “TSU has won $193,500 in cumulative grant money since the inception of the program,” Miglietta said. “The team and I are looking forward to traveling to Torrance, California, for the National Championship Tournament. I greatly appreciate the opportunity that American Honda provides to showcase the academic achievement at historically Black colleges and universities.”
TSU earned the bid to the national competition after its second-place finish at the qualifying round, in early March at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. The university won the National Championship in 2007.
This year’s HCASC theme is “Friends for Life,” as the corporation encourages the students to network, and build friendships that last a lifetime. The tournament culminates with the final eight teams playing each other April 17th at the American Honda headquarters. The competition will be streamed April 20‐21 on www.hcasc.com.
About Honda and Historically Black Colleges and Universities
For over 30 years, Honda has supported the success and dreams of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students through initiatives including the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge and Honda Battle of the Bands. These programs provide unforgettable experiences and opportunities for HBCU students, including meeting and networking with peers from other HBCU schools. Honda has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 students and awarded over $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is heading to the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament. TSU earned the bid after its second place finish at the qualifying round held at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
The team placed second in the tournament defeating Florida A&M, Spelman, and Voorhees College. The team defeated Morehouse College in the playoffs and lost a very tough game to Tuskegee University.
HCASC is a national quiz competition sponsored by American Honda for HBCUs. For more information see www.hcasc.com
The members of the team are:
Captain Cameron Malone, Junior, Oak Ridge TN, Electrical Engineering.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team recently won awards and grant money at the 29th annual HCASC National Tournament.
The team finished third in the Bullard Division at the competition, which took place April 7-11 in Torrance, California, and involved 47 other teams from historically black colleges and universities.
TSU finished the competition with a record of 3-2, defeating Benedict College, Southern University in New Orleans and Cheney University, and losing to Prairie View A&M and Paine College.
The team’s collective effort earned $3,000 in grant money for TSU. Devon Jefferson, a member of the TSU Honors College who serves as the team’s captain, earned an All-Star award as the top scorer in the Bullard Division, which earned another $1,000 for the university.
TSU HCASC Team Captain Devon Jefferson
Jefferson, a junior marketing major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, said although TSU didn’t make the playoffs this year, they grew as a unit. He said even though the award was given to him for his individual performance, it really came as a result of the work of the team.
“Honda always puts on a good tournament,” he said. ‘Even though we didn’t make the playoffs, we played some good close games and continued to mesh as a team.”
According to Dr. John Miglietta, professor of political science, who has served as the team’s coach since 2004, Jefferson is just the second TSU student to receive an All-Star award for being a top scorer at the national competition. Miglietta said the team was proud to participate in the event.
“The Honda Campus All Star Challenge is a great unique experience,” he said. “It showcases the academic knowledge of students from HBCUs around the country in the spirit of friendly competition.”
Members of the HCASC team who participated in the competition along with Jefferson are Breanna Williams, senior, music major from Marietta, Georgia; Alekzander Garcia, senior, chemistry major from Nyssa, Oregon; and Terrence George Young, junior computer science major from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Alexandria Ross, a freshman, economics and finance major from Memphis, Tennessee, also attended the competition as the university’s institutional representative.
Some other members of the TSU HCASC Club are Aliyah Muhammad, of Nashville, sophomore biology major; Donovan Varnell, sophomore political science major, from Nashville; and Micah Williams, sophomore, combined mass communications and military science major from Seoul, South Korea.
TSU has participated in 22 national championship tournaments earning a total of $174,500 in grant money since the inception of the program in 1989.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team will compete against 47 other Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the National Championship Tournament in Los Angeles, April 7-11.
The team recently participated in the National Qualifying Tournament at Spelman College in Atlanta where they defeated Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State Universities.
Devon Jefferson, a member of the TSU Honors College who serves as the team’s captain, said he hopes the team will bring the championship trophy back to TSU. He said being part of the TSU Honda Campus All-Star Team adds to the members’ academic experiences because of the knowledge they gain while studying and preparing for competition.
“I definitely believe that HCASC has made me better at certain things like taking certain classes and understanding them,” said Jefferson, a junior marketing major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. “I might have heard something in passing at practice and then I hear the actual application in class, so it makes more sense to me when I do the work.”
Dr. John Miglietta, professor of political science, who has served as the team’s coach since 2004, said participating in this event on the national level is important because it showcases the academic talent at the nation’s HBCUs.
“This event is a great showcase of the academic talent at HBCUs. TSU is proud to be able to participate,” he said. “Our team will be interacting with players and coaches from other HBCUs around the country as well as the volunteers, college bowl representatives, and associates from American Honda.”
Miglietta said HCASC is a great program because it measures students’ knowledge on a variety of subjects such as history, literature, sports, pop culture, science, as well as black history, culture, and literature.”
Members of the TSU Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team are: Breanna Williams, senior; Devon Jefferson, junior (captain); Dr. John Miglietta (coach); Alekzander Garcia, senior; Terrence George Young, junior; and Alexandria Ross, freshman (not pictured).
Members of the HCASC team who will be participating in the competition along with Jefferson are Breanna Williams, senior, music major from Marietta, Georgia; Alekzander Garcia, senior, chemistry major from Nyssa, Oregon; and Terrence George Young, junior computer science major from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Alexandria Ross, a freshmen, economics and Finance major from Memphis, Tennessee, will also be attending as the university’s institutional representative.
Some other members of the TSU HCASC Club are Aliyah Muhammad, of Nashville, a sophomore biology major; Donovan Varnell, sophomore political science major, from Nashville; and Micah Williams, sophomore, combined mass communications and military science major from Seoul, South Korea.
TSU has participated in 21 national championship tournaments earning a total of $170,500 in grant money since the inception of the program in 1989. Miglietta would like members of the Tennessee State Univeristy Community to encourage the team by liking the Honda Campus All Star Challenge facebook page and leave comments to encourage the team at https://bit.ly/2J6XtQd.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team participated in the National Qualifying Tournament at Spelman College in Atlanta on Saturday, Feb. 3.
TSU defeated Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State Universities, but lost two close games to Morehouse College and Florida A&M University.
After an impressive performance, the team’s goal now is to become one of 48 squads from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) around the nation to advance to the National Championship Tournament in Torrance, California, scheduled for April 7-11.
Dr. John Miglietta, professor of political science, who has served as the team’s coach since 2004, said participating in this event on the national level is important because it showcases the academic talent at the nation’s HBCUs.
“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a great program because it measures students’ knowledge on a variety of subjects such as history, literature, sports, pop culture, science, as well as black history, culture, and literature, etc.,” he said. “It is also important for individual students because of personal and professional networking opportunities with Honda as well students, faculty and staff from other HBCUs.”
Miglietta said the team will find out the week of Feb. 12 if they advance to the national competition. Until then, he said, they will continue to practice three times a week.
Devon Jefferson, a member of the TSU Honors College who serves
Members of the TSU Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team
as the team’s captain, said understanding the strengths of each team member plays a big role in their collective success.
“I think we have a pretty good team this year,” he said. “It’s not like the strength that each individual on the team has is the only thing they know about. Each individual on this team has widespread interests which relate to the basic knowledge we need when it comes to the competition.”
Jefferson, a junior marketing major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, said being part of the TSU Honda Campus All-Star Team adds to the members’ academic experiences because of the knowledge they gain while studying and preparing for competition.
“I definitely believe that HCASC has made me better at certain things like taking certain classes and understanding them,” he said. “I might have heard something in passing at practice and then I hear the actual application in class, so it makes more sense to me when I do the work.”
Other Members of the HCASC team who participated in the National Qualifying Tournament are Alexandria Ross, freshmen, economics and Finance major from Memphis, Tennessee; Breanna Williams, senior, music major from Marietta,Georgia; and Terrence George Young, junior computer science major from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Also on the TSU team are Aliyah Muhammad, of Nashville, a sophomore biology major; Donovan Varnell, sophomore political science major, from Nashville; and Micah Williams, sophomore, combined mass communications and military science major from Seoul, South Korea.
“We’ve got a great coach, and we’ve got a great team,” Jefferson added. “Hopefully, we did well enough at the National Qualifying Tournament to make nationals. And if we make nationals, hopefully we can bring the trophy back to TSU.”
TSU has participated in 21 national championship tournaments earning a total of $170,500 in grant money since the inception of the program in 1989. For more info about HCASC, visit www.hcasc.com.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has qualified for yet another Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship.
Five students will represent TSU in the championship tournament in Torrance, California from April 8-12.
The TSU Honda All-Star Challenge team members are from left, Terrance George Young, Mikala Jackson, Dr. John Miglietta, coach; Devon Jefferson, captain; and Alekzander Garcia. Ramon Gutierrez, the institutional representative, is not in the photo. (Submitted photo)
The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is sponsored by American Honda Motor Company in cooperation with the College Bowl Company. The competition brings together 48 historically black colleges and universities to compete in the national championship. It tests students’ knowledge on current events, science, history, literature, art, sports, pop culture, and African-American history.
Honda awards grants to participating institutions with the national champion winning a $75,000 grant.
TSU, a 2007 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge champion, with more than $167,000 in total grant money, has participated in the challenge since 1990.
To qualify for this year’s tournament, the TSU team posted a 3-1 record in the National Qualifying Tournament held at Spelman College earlier this year, with wins over Clark Atlanta, Jackson State, and Tuskegee universities.
“The team played a hard-fought game but lost to host Spelman,” said Dr. John Miglietta, professor of political science and team coach at TSU. “The team is honored to have qualified for the championship tournament and is practicing hard to do well in Torrance.”
He said team members are chosen from various disciplines across campus.
They include Terrance George Young, sophomore, computer science; Mikala Jackson, sophomore, chemistry/biology; Alekzander Garcia, junior, chemistry; and team captain Devon Jefferson, a sophomore marketing major. Ramon Gutierrez, a sophomore accounting major, is the institutional representative.
Embedding the live-streamed feed onto a campus web page:
Have the Webmaster or other IT professional email mary@hcasc.com for the embed code. The code will be available on Friday April 7th. This is a great way to share HCASC in real time. If your team makes the Final 8 this is a must do!
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 25 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
A team of students from Tennessee State University competed against 47 other teams from across the country in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship April 12-16 in Torrance, Calif. Members of the team included (left to right) Aurora Garvin, Brandon Bartee, Joseph Patrick, and Adriann Wilson.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Students from Tennessee State University had the opportunity to compete in a “battle of the brains” recently when they took on challengers from universities and colleges from across the country as they took part in the 25th Annual Honda Campus All Star Challenge.
Held in Torrance, Calif., April 12-16 the competition featured the best and brightest students from 48 of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities to match wits and test their knowledge on such topics as the arts, geography, literature, history, politics science, as well as African-American literature and history among other categories.
The team, according to Dr. John Miglietta, professor of Political Science and coach of the team, has traditionally done very well in the competition, and has advanced to the Sweet 16 the last two years. TSU also claimed the top spot in 2007 as the national champions.
“The students did very well, with several of them playing in their first national tournament,” said Miglietta. “TSU was very competitive and the team received valuable experience. This will serve them well for next year’s tournament.”
The competition is divided into two phases, with the first phase a round-robin competition in which the field of 48 is divided into eight divisions of six teams. Each team plays the other team in its division once.
TSU alumnus Malick Badjie was inducted into the HCASC Hall of Fame during the competition. Malick captained the team for three years from 2001-2003.
“Our team started off slow losing its first three games but rallied to defeat Virginia Union and Clark Atlanta Universities,” added Miglietta. “The team finished 2-3 and ultimately took third place in the division.”
“The top two teams advance from each division into the playoffs. TSU did not advance but was rooting for our friends from Fisk University who eventually were winners of the tournament.”
Representing TSU this year were: Adriann N. Wilson, a junior Mechanical Engineering major from Albany, Ga.; Brandon Bartee, junior Mechanical Engineering major from Manchester, Tenn.; Aurora Garvin, a sophomore Art major from Nashville, Tenn.; and Joseph Edward Patrick II, a junior Electrical Engineering major also from Nashville.
“The great thing about this competition is that it allows students from all over the country to interact and make ‘friends for life’ while also competing for scholarships for their institutions,” said Miglietta. “Every school that participates receives some scholarship money with the winners taking home $50,000 for their school. This year as National Championship Qualifiers TSU will receive $3,000 from American Honda.”
A highlight of the tournament was the induction of former player and TSU alumnus Malick Badjie into the HCASC Hall of Fame. Malick captained the team for three years from 2001-2003. While at TSU, in addition to HCASC, Malick was also active in Model United Nations, the Muslim Students Association, as well as the Honors Program. Malick now lives in London, United Kingdom, and has gone on to a career in financial services.
Celebrating 25 years of HBCU excellence, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United States. Since 1989, the program has awarded more than $7 million in grants to participating HBCUs, impacting the lives of over 100,000 students across 22 states. The participating HBCUs share in grants from Honda of up to $328,000 each year.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Students to test knowledge of academic recall during Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
A team of students from Tennessee State University will compete against 47 other teams from across the country in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship April 12-16 in Torrance, Calif. Members of the team include: (left to right) Brandon Bartee, Maurice Henderson II, Adriann Wilson, Joseph Patrick, Dr. John Miglietta, and Aurora Garvin. (photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A team from Tennessee State University will join 47 other teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country when they vie for the top spot in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament. The final round of this unique academic tournament will take place April 12-16 in Torrance, Calif., on the campus of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
The Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge is a “knowledge game of quick recall” that engages the best and brightest students at HBCUs in an annual academic quiz championship. Students compete in answering questions related to pop culture, sports, history, science, current events, and literature, as well as African-American history, and general knowledge categories.
Representing TSU this year are: Adriann N. Wilson, a junior Mechanical Engineering major from Albany, Ga.; Brandon Cantrel Bartee, junior Mechanical Engineering major from Manchester, Tenn.; Aurora Garvin, a sophomore Art major from Nashville, Tenn.; and Joseph Edward Patrick II, a junior Electrical Engineering major also from Nashville. Maurice Henderson II, a freshman Computer Science major from Jacksonville, Fla., will travel with the team as an Institutional Representative.
The four-member team from the University began their journey for academic gold in the fall of 2013 through countless hours of study, drills and practice to prepare them for the regional qualifying tournaments. This year, TSU travelled to Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala., for the qualifying tournament Feb. 15, and was selected to participate in the “HBCU Battle of the Brains.”
The team’s goal now, is to beat Morgan State University, the reigning national champions with two consecutive titles, while Morgan State will be seeking a three-peat. Tennessee State is a past National Champion, having earned the title in 2007.
According to the team’s coach, Dr. John Miglietta, professor of Political Science, the team is taking this competition very serious and practicing three to four times a week.
“We are focusing on topics such as African-American History, current events, and geography, as well as general knowledge,” said Miglietta. “We are also trying to arrange a scrimmage or two with Fisk University to keep us in that tournament mode.”
Miglietta also added that a win would give the team bragging rights as the nation’s top academic HBCU.
“The students and I are very excited to be participating again in the national tournament next month against some of the top minds on college campuses while we battle it out for this season’s championship,” he said. “Our team has been busy preparing for the competition and are looking forward to meeting and competing with the other teams from HBCUs around the country.”
During the four-day tournament, competitors will be split into eight divisions and will compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division will advance to the “Sweet 16” and will compete in a single elimination playoff. The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will compete for the title of National Champions and the grand prize of $50,000. The grand prize, along with the other institutional grants, will support academic activities at the participating HBCUs.
Celebrating 25 years of HBCU excellence, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United States. Since 1989, the program has awarded more than $7 million in grants to participating HBCUs, impacting the lives of over 100,000 students across 22 states. The participating HBCUs share in grants from Honda of up to $328,000 each year.
“Honda Campus All-Star Challenge rewards the best and brightest for their academic achievements and prepares our student competitors for life beyond school by reinforcing their strong work ethic and introducing them to a thriving community of alumni,” said Steve Morikawa, assistant vice president, Corporate and Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. “We look forward to hosting the 25th anniversary class in California and treating them to a fun, four days of healthy competition.”
For more information on the 2014 HCASC, including a full list of the 48 qualifying teams, visit http://www.hcasc.com. The finals of the 2014 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge will be Live Streamed on Monday, April 14 starting at noon Eastern Time on HCASC.com.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
Students from TSU took part in one of the regional qualifying tournaments for the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Feb. 15 at Alabama State University. Pictured are: front row (L-R) Brandon Bartee, Maurice Henderson, Diarra Fall. Back row (L-R) January Wisniewski, Rebecca Webber, Aurora Garvin, Amadou Fall, Joseph Patrick (courtesy photo)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The road to claim the title of America’s best in the 2014 Honda All-Star Challenge started this weekend for students from Tennessee State University when they traveled to Montgomery, Ala., for the qualifying tournament Feb. 15 at Alabama State University. Forty-eight teams from the qualifying tournaments will then advance to the National Championship Tournament in Los Angeles in April. The teams will be announced on Feb. 20.
The team, according to Dr. John P. Miglietta, professor of Political Science and coach of the TSU team, did well in the tournament, winning two out of four games.
“The students did very well, with several of them playing in their first tournament,” said Miglietta. “TSU was very competitive and the team received valuable experience. This will serve them well if we participate in the national tournament, and certainly for next year.”
Participation in the National Qualifying tournament is an essential part of the qualification process for the National Championship tournament, which will be held April 12-16. Dubbed “the Olympics of the Mind,” the Honda Campus All‐Star Challenge is a “knowledge game of quick recall” that engages the best and brightest students at HBCUs in an annual academic quiz championship. Students compete in answering questions related to pop culture, sports, history, science, current events, and literature, as well as African-American history, and general knowledge categories.
The Challenge, sponsored by Honda, is now in its 25th year. During that time Honda has awarded more than $7 million in grants to participating HBCUs, and nearly 100,000 students in 22 states have taken part.
Representing TSU this year are: Adriann N. Wilson, a junior Mechanical Engineering major from Albany, Ga.; Brandon Cantrel Bartee, junior Mechanical Engineering major from Manchester, Tenn.; Aurora Garvin, a sophomore Art major from Nashville, Tenn.; and Joseph Edward Patrick II, a junior Electrical Engineering major also from Nashville.
Other club members attending the qualifying tournament included Amadou Fall, a junior Chemistry major, from Nashville; Maurice Henderson, freshmen Computer Science major, from Jacksonville, Fla.; Rebecca Webber, a senior Nursing major, from Nashville; and January Wisniewski, a graduate student in Computer Science, also from Nashville.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
