TSU Competes in HBCU Battle of the Brains April 12-16

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.