The East Mississippi Community College Golden Triangle Campus hosted a sectional quiz bowl tournament Friday.
The tournament included two EMCC teams, and drew four other teams from Lamar State College in Orange, Texas, Bevill State Community College in Fayette County, Alabama and Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville. The Bevill State team took the first place slot, and will advance to the National Academic Quiz Tournaments Community College Championship Tournament in Bloomington, Minnesota. East Mississippi Community College Team A took second place, and EMCC Team B took third place.
Michael Duncan, a member of the EMCC Team A said he never planned to become involved in quiz bowl, but was glad he joined the team.
“I was in class one day, and they were saying that they need somebody to join the team,” said Duncan, a freshman from New Hope. “I’m really good at history, so I just volunteered. I’ve been on it ever since.”
Duncan said he felt his quiz bowl experience has helped him in the classroom.
“My favorite subject is history, anything surrounding war, military, U.S. history, anything like that,” Duncan said. “Joining the quiz bowl team, you learn a lot more, because there’s a lot of questions about famous people, things that have happened in history, literature, famous people. You get smarter by doing it.”
EMCC Quiz Bowl Coach Scott Baine said it was the first time EMCC has hosted the tournament.
“We do have the home court advantage,” said Baine, who serves as director of the EMCC Golden Triangle Honors Program. “We were up here last night preparing for everything, but I think we’re doing well.”
Baine said seven sectionals were taking place across the country Friday and Saturday, and the winners of those tournaments would compete at the national level.
Lamar State College Quiz Bowl coach Eric Owens explained the way the competition is set up.
“Essentially it’s academic trivia,” said Owens, a history professor. “Two teams of four go head to head with questions on a variety of subjects, academic subjects mostly, not entirely … You have toss-up questions, and you have bonus questions … That’s what the buzzers are for. If your team gets (a toss-up) question right, they get a bonus (question).”
The tournament was among the first events to be held in the new student union on the EMCC campus.