By Kenny Wagner
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This weekend Valencia Students will be competing in their own (Super) Brain Bowl, held on our own turf. Expectations are high and the students are feeling the pressure in hopes they will walk away with the gold.
Valencia Community College will be hosting the National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ (NAQT) Community College Quiz Bowl Feb. 27-28 at the West Campus in buildings seven and nine. The tournament pits teams from 23 colleges against each other in a trivia competition, testing the knowledge of students representing their respective schools.
This year is a pivotal year in NAQT as well as Valencia history because 2009 happens to be the first year to feature an all community college category and VCC happens to be the first to get hosting privileges for the championship event.
In years past, community colleges were grouped in with four-year schools. The highest ranked community college team among the rankings of all schools in attendance was declared the winner in that bracket. This year the NAQT decided to do things a bit differently, creating a category exclusive to community colleges. The winner will then go on to face larger Universities in the Intercollegiate Championship Tournament in Division II.So the stakes are high for the Valencia team.
In January the NAQT held the Community College Sectional Championship Tournament, the top teams from the sectional tournament advanced to the Community College Championship Tournament, the competition that will be held at Valencia.
This year 24 teams will be competing — including two from VCC and six states. It is the hope of the Valencia team to bring home the championship and restore the glory of years past and this year, they have the home field advantage.
The categories the teams will be quizzed on come from the entire spectrum of collegiate curriculums, from math and science to humanities and art. The team leader, professor Chris Borglum is enthusiastic about the chances of his team in this competition, saying “We really have a good shot this year.”
Valencia teams have been competing in the NAQT Quiz Bowl since 1983 and have won a total of five times.
Students are encouraged to attend the events and Brain Bowl adviser Chris Borglum has expressed his hope that people will show up and root for their team.
The NAQT Community College Quiz Bowl preliminary rounds will be held at 7 p.m. at Valencia on Friday Feb. 27. The competition will be continuing on from there all weekend punctuated by the finals, which are scheduled to be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 28 in building 7 room 114.
