麻豆短视频传媒 Team to Compete in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament
Frankfort, KY - 麻豆短视频传媒鈥檚 (KSU) Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
(HCASC) Team has qualified to compete in this year鈥檚 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
National Championship Tournament in Torrance, California. The annual trivia competition
highlights the academic excellence of HBCU students around the nation. This year,
KSU will be represented by students Ciara Robinson, a senior political science and
criminal justice major; Mylah Smith, a senior nursing major; Debrianna Smith, a sophomore
nursing major; and De鈥橝ira Watts, a junior agriculture major.
After successfully competing at Prairie View A&M University in one of six National
Qualifying Tournaments, the team advanced to the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National
Championship which will be held from April 12 to April 16. If the team successfully
competes against their opponents during this stage, they will go on to compete in
the final round at the Honda studio.
鈥淲hat this team has accomplished is nothing short of remarkable,鈥� said the team鈥檚
Head Coach Zachary Atwell, KSU General Counsel and Board Secretary. 鈥淒espite featuring
two first-time competitors, the team has secured a coveted spot in the national tournament
in Los Angeles.鈥�
Atwell and Assistant Coach Grant Stepp, Athletic Director at KSU, have been supporting
the team in honing in their skills.
鈥淭o prepare for LA, the team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one and a half
hours. During practices, we recreate tournament conditions by splitting the team into
pairs and having them compete against each other,鈥� explained Atwell. 鈥淎s a result,
their quick recall and buzzer skills have improved considerably since we first began
practicing in October. Success at an HCASC tournament, like at any trivia competition,
demands an encyclopedic knowledge that spans current events, scientific concepts,
award-winning literature, historical turning points, and global geography, among many
other topics. The team understands this challenge, and they鈥檝e all committed themselves
to rigorous independent study beyond our practice sessions.鈥�
The prizes for this year include $75,000 for the winning team, $30,000 for the runner-up,
and between $20,000 and $3,000 for all remaining teams. The team plans to reinvest
their winnings toward future tournaments, competitions, and practices.
鈥淸Winning] would mean a lot. I think that it would speak to the hard work we put in,鈥�
said Team Captain, Ciara Robinson. 鈥淚 would be unbelievably proud as a captain, especially
having a new team that haven鈥檛 all played together prior to this year.鈥�
A potential win isn鈥檛 the only thing Robinson and her team look forward to. She also
expressed gratitude for the ability to expand their horizons through HCASC, especially
regarding the lasting connections they have been able to make throughout this experience.
鈥淗onda lives by the idea that you make friends for life and there are people that
I will carry these memories with. ... I will definitely remember each of my team members,鈥�
said Robinson. 鈥淪ince I鈥檝e been here, I鈥檝e had six team members and ... each one of
them is unabashedly themselves and has given me great experiences. I will carry with
me them in my heart; they will be my friends forever.鈥�
The team welcomes any students interested in participating, even individuals with
no experience. Those interested in joining the team can reach out to coaches Atwell
or Stepp at zachary.atwell@kysu.edu or grant.stepp@kysu.edu. Practice is held Tuesdays
and Thursdays at 5 p.m. in the Carl M. Hill Student Center.