FAMU Wins Academic Marathon, Defeating S.C. State

From left, Jonathan Evans, Jeffery Rodgers Jr., Alonzo Alexander and Michael Ghebrebrhan won the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge for FAMU.

A team of students from Florida A&M University won the 14th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a three-day academic tournament held in Orlando, winning $50,000 for the university. More than 320 students from 64 HBCUs competed for more than $300,000 in institutional grants.

FAMU defeated South Carolina State University in the final round. South Carolina State won $25,000 and other teams won grants for their schools ranging from $3,000 to $15,000. The FAMU victory ends a two-year winning streak by Morehouse College.

Jeffrey D. Rogers Jr., 23, captain of the FAMU team, said the team cohesion helped them to victory.

"We had great chemistry and a well-balanced team," said Rogers, a senior business administration student from Pensacola, Fla. "We had a team from a variety of backgrounds and I believe that would be good for any great team."

FAMU's team consisted of Alonzo Alexander, 20, a junior physics student from Raleigh, N.C.; Jonathan Evans, 21, a junior psychology student from Morgantown, W.Va.; Kevin Johnson, 20, a junior physics student from Durham, N.C., and Michael Ghebrebrhan, 21, a senior physics student from Jacksonville, Fla.

The winning "toss-up" and "20-point bonus" questions answered correctly by the students from FAMU in the final game between FAMU and South Carolina State were:

"Q. It has been copyrighted, so no image of it may be reproduced without permission. That complicated broadcasting any panoramic view of Toronto. For 10 points, name this tallest structure on earth, a 1,815-foot tower.

"A. CN Tower or Canadian National Tower"

"Q. Because it virtually resists corrosion and bonds well with human bones, it's now commonly used in the branch of dentistry that deals with the replacement of missing teeth, with dentures, and with other artificial devices. For 10 points apiece, name this ductile, silvery gray metal in Column 4B of the Periodic Table, and give me the four-syllable name for that branch of dentistry.

"A. Titanium and Prosthodontics (PRAHS-thoh-DON-ticks)"

Ghebrebrhan was awarded $1,000 as the All-Star Player of the competition. Dr. Vivian Hobbs, an English professor who has coached the FAMU team for 13 years, said the team had been in training since September 2002. The team practiced twice a week, two hours on Wednesdays and three hours on Saturdays for the March 27-31 event. The practices consisted of lots of reading and fact-gathering.

"I look at myself as a manager of the team," Rogers said. "I also have to make sure that the team keep their egos in check and that everyone is calm."

This year's team is one she won't soon forget. "They made my job of coaching very easy," Hobbs said. "I'm so proud of these students.

"I believe this is the best team that I have ever had."

Antione Davis is a student at Florida A&M University who writes for The Famuan. He can be reached at [email protected].

Posted April 2, 2003