By Alex Muhindura/reporter
Tarrant County College tussled with the giant universities and came home with some hardware. On Feb. 23, the NE Campus College Bowl team won third place in a regional tournament at the University of Houston.
“The College Bowl is an academic quiz that tests student knowledge in math, science, history, sports and popular culture,” said Bonnie Creel, associate professor of speech, who has led the team for five years. “This is the highest NE Campus has ever placed.”
Students from TCC’s NW campus also competed on a separate team.
Each team consists of four players and one alternate. This year’s squad consisted of John Brauer, the team’s captain, and John Anglin, Cassandra Ferrell and Lance Newman.
“Brauer placed first among 50 players and was one of the four selected to the All-Stars,” Creel said.
TCC competed in a round robin-style tournament and then was selected for the finals alongside Rice, Baylor and Harding Universities. “It was pretty intimidating to be going up against such well-established universities as Rice and Baylor, especially when both of those schools specifically each has history of doing well in the tournament, even at the national level,” Newman said.
“It was when we upset Harding University, a very strict private school in Arkansas, and gave them their first loss that I knew we had a chance to actually be a worthy contender among the four-year schools.”
Although they defeated Harding, Rice and Baylor eventually took TCC down in the finals. But the students still left with a sense of satisfaction.
“I thought we did great; I was very proud of our team and of Robert, our captain,” Anglin said.
Even though it is an academic quiz, some obscure questions still pop up. Anglin, for example, said he was surprised when he heard a question asked about comic character Speed Racer.
Newman remembered Creel asking them if they knew what Gwen Stefani’s clothing line L.A.M.B. stood for; it is love-angel-music-baby, for those who are interested.
Creel encourages students to try out because the group is always seeking new team members.
“It [College Bowl] rewards students for their knowledge and provides a team atmosphere,” she said.
