Honda team prepares for Quiz Show, nationals

During the past few months, the Winston-Salem State Honda team has been preparing for a journey to the annual national competition in Florida next spring.

Part of the team's preparation involves practicing every Wednesday, hosting a campus tournament, and competing in the Black College Quiz Show in Tennessee this December.

Participation in the Quiz Show is by invitation only. WSSU is one of the eight HBCUs invited this year; this is the first time WSSU will be competing.       

At the Honda team's tournament in the Thompson Center Nov. 6, four teams of WSSU students competed. The first place team prize was $200, and the second and third place prizes were $100.

The top scorer, Krista Brown, won $50. Brown, the team's captain, is a sports management major.

Brown's team "Subliminal" won first place with a final score of 200.  Its members are Satira Holiday, an elementary education major; Teddy Howell, a business management major; and Grace Sturdivant, an exercise science major.

Brown said the team was "exited and shocked" about their win.

"We didn't really have to prepare too much for the tournament," Brown said.

"We used the knowledge we have from all of our majors to compete."

The  WSSU Honda team also participated in a quiz bowl tournament on the campus of  N.C. A&T  Nov. 11-12. Ten teams competed in that tournament.  Florida A&M won first place and WSSU came in second with a score of 75.

To be eligible to join the WSSU Honda team, students must participate in the Honda club. The Honda club is open to all undergraduate students from all majors.

"The club is an opportunity for students to practice, so if they have to step in for someone on the team, they will be well prepared," said Terrence Hobbs, a senior mass communications major from Charlotte.

 Marilyn Roseboro, an associate professor in the Mass Communications Department,  has been the team's adviser for 15 years.

"Our goals for this year are to always try to increase participation from students and to make it to nationals," Roseboro said.

The money the team wins from competitions is given to the Honda campus program to cover the cost of campus tournaments, uniforms and supplies for the team.

"Only four students are allowed to compete in the national competition, and one student will act as an understudy," Roseboro said.

A new requirement for the national tournament this year is that teams must complete a    community service project. WSSU's Honda team's project incorporates a domestic violence theme.

The team sponsored a forum about domestic violence Nov. 8. featuring guest speaker Kenyetta Richmond.   Richmond is an alumna and a victim advocate and outreach specialist for family services

Stephen Archie, a sophomore computer science major from Shelby,  has been a team member since his freshman year.

"I want to improve my performance from last year," Archie said.

"I hope to help the team advance."

The Honda team members include Archie, Hobbs,  Brown, and KraShaunda Chadwick an exercise science and rehab studies major.