Morehouse Claims Honda All-Star Challenge Title
ORLANDO, Fla.
A team of students from Morehouse College has won the 17th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, beating North Carolina Central University for the national title by answering trivia questions on various topics, from world history to popular culture.
Eighty-four HBCUs signed up to compete in the All-Star Challenge, themed “Your Challenging Spirit,” with 64 teams earning a trip to Orlando, Fla. to compete for the title. Morehouse’s victory is the fourth for the university, which will receive a $50,000 grant as a prize. NCCU took home a $25,000 grant, and the remaining 62 teams earned grants ranging from $3,000 to $15,000. Through the program, more than $300,000 in institutional grants are awarded annually to participating schools.
“It truly was a team effort. There was not one superstar, everyone complemented each other,” says Dr. Anderson C. Williams, the team’s coach. “All the guys were friends and the atmosphere was very cordial.”
Morehouse’s team, led by captain Jordan A. Harris, consisted of four seniors and a freshman. Harris and fellow senior John Ramsey Clarke are both economics majors. Mark A. Bernard and Anthony Christopher Smith, both seniors, are studying chemistry and political science/pre-law, respectively. The freshman, Alvin McNair, is undeclared.
“I’m proud to have represented Morehouse College on two championship teams,” says Harris, who will graduate this year and recently accepted a job with HSBC. “There was a good balance on the team — there was a science guy, an art and literature guy, a history and politics guy — and I learned a lot.”
“Everyone who watches these games and witnesses the intelligence, camaraderie and commitment is moved by the challenging spirit these young people exhibit,” says Eric Conn, assistant vice president of National Advertising for American Honda Motor Co.
— By Shilpa Banerji
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