For the second consecutive year, Stony Brook University willparticipate at the regional College Bowl competition.’ Hoping to improvelast year’s fifth-place finish, this year’s team members said that they will bemeeting often to practice and prepare for the competition, which will takeplace on Feb. 22 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
The College Bowl competition consists of five-player teamsgoing head-to-head, answering fast-paced questions on a variety oftopics.’ Roughly 500 colleges and universities held tournaments, and thewinning teams from these institutions will participate in 13 different regionalcompetitions.
This year’s team is comprised of the five top individualscorers in the Stony Brook College Bowl competition, which was held inmid-November.
Representing Stony Brook this year will be junior RichardAtkinson, a Music major;’ Jonathan Reinstein, an undeclaredfreshman;’ junior Adam Zimmerman, a history major;’ junior AkashPatel, a mathematics major; and freshman John Femineola, majoring inPharmacology.’ They will compete against the University of Delaware, EssexCounty College, University of Rutgers-Camden, University of Rutgers-Newark, andVillanova.
Assistant Director of Student Activities Maria Terranaoversaw the tournament in November, and is now helping the team get ready forthe Regionals.’ Throughout much of this month, they will be gettingtogether to practice questions and form chemistry as a team.’ Most of theplayers have participated in such competitions in the past, and will rely onexperience, as well as knowledge, to succeed.
‘I also [played] in high school in a similarcompetition, and my team went to the National Championship last year,’said Reinstein, who has also been a semifinalist on the Jeopardy! TeenTournament.
‘Watching Jeopardy! often helps me to prepare,’Patel added.’ Additionally, Adam Zimmerman was part of last year’sfifth-place squad.
Although this competition requires a great deal of knowledgeand careful strategy, Terrana is also encouraging the team to have fun.’ ‘My job is to get them to know each other, but most importantly, to getthem to have fun,’ she said. ‘?It’s a competition, but if you don’thave fun, what’s the point of going?’
Terrana is trying to make Stony Brook a permanent presenceat the Regionals. Before last year, the university had not fielded a team inover five years.’ One of the ways Terrana is hoping to ensure theuniversity’s presence in the competition, as well as student participation oncampus, is the formation of a College Bowl organization.
‘We’re trying to form a club.’ I think this issomething that we can potentially hold once a year.’ [A club] can getfunding and purchase the supplies needed,’ Terrana said. ‘?Theteam, each year, could turn to the club for help, but hopefully some members ofthe club will also become part of the team.’ The Student Activitiesoffice is currently funding the entire cost of participation in this event.
The winning team from Regionals will proceed to the nationalcompetition, which will be held April 25-27 at the University of Pennsylvania.
