Austin, TX- Across the nation, students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are making final preparations to vie for grants and glory at the nation’s only HBCU academic competition – the 2012 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) (www.hcasc.com). The two-day competition, took place April 1-2, 2012, in Torrance, CA, that tested students’ knowledge of history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social science, and popular culture. The competition will give students the opportunity to win a share of the more than $300,000 in institutional grants awarded annually by Honda, as well as battle for bragging rights as the nation’s top academic HBCU.
The team of Aisha Z. Henderson, junior, computer science; Erica N. Jackson, senior, political science; Nimi Kemuel, junior, political science; and Jonathan Wayne, sophomore, music; represented Huston-Tillotson University. The students voluntarily enrolled in the Honda All-Star Challenge Preparation semester-long course taught by history Professor Alaine Hutson and participated in mock competitions with other historically black universities in the state. HT students have earned more than $40,000 in the competition since entering the challenge in the early 90s.The 250 HCASC student competitors from 48 HBCUs, or “Great 48,” heading to Torrance to compete in the 2012 games, hail from HBCUs located in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, South Carolina, Delaware, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, New York, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington DC. The competitors will be split into eight divisions and will compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division will advance to the “Sweet 16” and compete in a single elimination playoff. The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will battle for the title of National Champions and the grand prize of $50,000.The 23rd annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge will take place this year at the corporate headquarters of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in Torrance, CA. Moving from its previous location in Orlando, FLA., this will be the first time the event is held in the Los Angeles area on the campus of Honda, the event’s sole corporate sponsor. Honda hopes to introduce students to the many career opportunities available in the automotive industry.
