Student Activities and SGA rekindle College Bowl

Are you ready to rumble? The College Bowl has come to Marist College and will take place on Saturday Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the Student Center. "It's a fast-paced academic tournament similar to Jeopardy," said Michele Fischetti, assistant director of student activities.

Student Activities and the Student Government Association (SGA) are joining together to bring back the competition to Marist College. Marist last ran this event two years ago.

Fischetti said that this competition is just for fun and to pique the interest of the students.

"We [Student Activities and SGA] are trying to bring back the spirit of the College Bowl to campus," she said.

Sophomore Michael McLaughlin, vice president of academic affairs said that Marist will gain from hosting this competition.

"It's an important program because a. it puts us [Marist] on the map and b. it's something that is academically challenging," he said.

The teams for this competition can be a mix of any four participants that include students, faculty or staff. Teams can pick up forms at the Office of College Activites, which are due back by Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Senior Maria Negron who will participate in the College Bowl on the Sigma Sigma Sigma team, said that she is happy to be a part of the game.

"I've always liked the idea of various groups coming together for a fun event like this," she said. "Not to mention I'd like to show people that Greek life isn't all fun and games. We are actually intelligent people ... we actually have to maintain minimum GPA's to participate and it will be nice to demonstrate that on campus a little more."

Two teams will go head-to-head and be asked randomly selected questions that are provided by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) an organization that has helped the College Bowl run its program since 1976.

Fischetti said that the bank of questions that the ACUI provided is enormous.

"It's everything and anything you could ever think of," she said.

However, Fischetti said that the questions should not intimidate any team that wants to participate.

"It doesn't matter if it's tough," she said. "This is going to be pure fun."

Negron said that some teams will compete to win and others are looking to have a good time.

"Everyone's going to want to win, but I think everyone's going to have a really good time as well," she said.

Student Activities is looking for volunteers to help run the event, as well as anyone who wants to be a part of the audience. Fischetti said that students, as well as some faculty members have already expressed interest in the event.

"There's a lot of interest," she said. "I'm hoping to get 10 teams."

Junior Matthew Hittenmark, vice president of club affairs said that the College Bowl should gain the imterest of clubs because the event is a part of a club challenge. If a club won the College Bowl it would receive ten points towards the coveted Club of the Year award.

The College Bowl is one of the 12 possible club challenges.All together, the club challenges comprise 1/3 of the requirements that are needed to win Club of the Year.

Hittenmark said that is not the only award a team could receive.

"They [the winning participants] get an overall self-awareness of their own intellectual ability."

The College Bowl in conjunction with ACUI has aided the contest between colleges since 1976, when the campus programs were first initiated. The ACUI provides volunteers for campus, regional, and national contests. Over 500 schools have participated in these competitions, and Marist is looking to join the list. There are 64 teams that compete annually in the National Championship Tournament.

Fischetti said that she hopes this competition will result in a student only competition in the spring.

"The goal is to have a spring tournament with just students," said Fischetti.

The winning team will then compete in regional competitions against colleges from Buffalo to Albany.

McLaughlin said that the College Bowl will probably be a heated event.

"We go to Marist, obviously there will be competition.