Honda Campus All-Stars

For the 28th year in a row, Alabama State University students have earned a spot in the national finals of the Honda Campus All-Stars Challenge (HCASC). HCASC is a quizbowl academic competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. ASU’s participation in the finals represents a major achievement. 

"Over the decades, Alabama State's team has competed in Honda's national finals every year since 1995, and I truly believe this year's student competitors are the most intellectually agile and proficient in the many years that I have been involved with our student-scholars competing at this venue," said Dr. Ivon Alcime, team advisor and an associate professor of Communications in the University's Department of Communications.

The Hornet Nation's four-member team will compete in Torrance, California from April 14-16. Team members include Jonathan Holland, a Secondary Education senior from Frisco, Texas; Vanella Tadjuidje, a Biology/Pre-Health junior from Pike Road, Ala; Savannah Mendenhall, a senior Accounting major from Blue Mound, Ill; and Samantha Rodman, a sophomore History major from Montgomery, Ala.

"All HBCUs in the nation have already gone through rounds of competition and now we are off to the final event -- the nationals -- and by doing so this year, and for every year since 1995, it showcases and demonstrates the strength of the scholarship at The Alabama State University and reflects highly upon the sterling character of our competing student's intellectualism, as well as on our institution's faculty and their high caliber of instruction," said Dr. Alcime.  

A JEOPARDY-LIKE FORMAT

The competition is similar to the popular television game show “Jeopardy” but is done in a team format with questions coming from such scholastic disciplines as chemistry, English, mathematics and history, as well as current events, popular culture and sports with a slant towards Black culture, history, and cultural events.

If ASU’s team wins Honda's national event in April, the University's students will receive sizable scholarship money from Honda to help advance their education.

ASU'S TEAM ADVISOR IS OPTIMISTIC

"It is said that 'Practice Makes Perfect' and if that is the case, then ASU's team is on the way to victory because our students are doing practice rounds several times a day, which coupled with their team spirit, allows us an advantage, which I believe will put us over the top," Alcime said.

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.

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