Dillard University’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) team took home the silver in the National Qualifying Tournament on Saturday. The team will head to the National Championship Tournament, held in Los Angeles.
The teams that competed here on campus include Alabama A&M University, Albany State University, Alcorn State University, Clark Atlanta University, Dillard University, Fort Valley State University, Jackson State University, Rust College, Southern University at New Orleans and Spelman College. Spelman College took first place.
The HCASC quizbowl competition for HBCUs began in 1989. Honda provides grants to all participating institutions that complete the Part 1 Qualification. The goal of the challenge is to support the mission of HBCUs across America.
“I think that it’s beautiful. It’s admirable,” said Kimberly Moorehead, Ed.D., coach of Dillard University’s team and director of academic and athletic compliance. “They [Honda] are connecting folks to long-term opportunities, so it’s more than just these surface levels.”
Honda will pick up all the costs for nationally qualifying teams to travel to California to compete. The company also provides students with internship and job opportunities.
HCASC’s impact doesn’t end there.
Carson Posey, captain of the Alcorn State University team said this competition enhances the HBCU experience for him.. It’s been five years since his school had a team, so he’s excited about building something new and gaining leadership experience.
“I feel I can take this experience out and then apply it to things like SGA. I’m also an ambassador for Andrew Goodman, the sophomore biology major from Alcorn explained. “I can take the leadership I have from that and, like, take it to the streets and get people to vote and stuff.”
Bishop Seabrook is one of the captains of Dillard University’s team. He said the competition is also an opportunity for HBCU students to connect with one another.
“Moments like these are very connecting because we go against other HBCUs, and not only that, it’s built at home first,” said Seabrook, a junior financial economics major from Atlanta.
The competition contributes to HBCU culture, he said. It expands the knowledge of HBCU students nationally.
“I love it because we’re all learning together, and the answers are going to be the same. So, if I know an answer and they know an answer, we have something in common,” said Seabrook.
It’s no secret that quizbowl is one of Moorehead’s favorite things to do at Dillard University. She called it an opportunity to learn something new.
“Not only from the team or the games that we’re practicing, but it’s just an environment that leans into something that I take seriously, which is education,” she said.
Education is only part of it; leadership plays a role too. Alcorn’s HCASC team is heavily involved on their campus, said Posey.
“These are the highly motivated young men and women who just want to see our Alcorn just grow and be fruitful,” he added about his team.
Dillard University’s team strives to learn everything possible, but they also love when something new challenges their knowledge, said Seabrook.
“It’s okay to not know. We love saying I don’t know because we’re just going to learn it and apply it,” he said.
Dillard University’s HCASC team will be competing in the national tournament in Los Angeles on April 11 – 14.
