March 19, 2024 – On March 22 and 23, Santa Fe College (SF) will host the 42nd annual Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) State Brain Bowl Championship Tournament at the Northwest Campus. This is the second year in a row that SF will host the state championship tournament.
Brain Bowl is a fast-paced academic quiz tournament in which teams of four students race to buzz in first to answer questions in four general education areas:
- Literature
- Other humanities
- Mathematics
- Science
Students who participate in Brain Bowl acquire effective listening skills in a high-pressure environment, identify their personal strengths and areas of improvement, learn how assertive they should be when buzzing in, and improve their collaboration skills within the team.
Who Will Win the State Title?
SF’s Brain Bowl team has had a stellar year so far. Two teams qualified for the Community College Championship Tournament held in Chicago, IL in February, and two teams qualified for this weekend’s state championship. The top ten colleges that qualified at the state regional championship tournaments in February will compete for the coveted state title. The competing teams are:
- Broward College
- Chipola College (two teams)
- Florida Gateway College
- Northwest Florida State College
- Santa Fe College (two teams)
- State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota
- Tallahassee Community College
- Valencia College
This year’s event will kick off with an opening meeting at 1:00 p.m. in Building B with rounds starting at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and continuing until 5:35 pm. On Saturday, rounds will be from 10:00 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. The top two teams will then face off against each other in R-001 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. to determine the Florida Brain Bowl State Champion.
Faculty, staff and students are welcome to sit in on the matches to see the state’s competitive teams demonstrate their academic talents. The tournament is organized by Santa Fe College Brain Bowl team coach, Asha Brunings in collaboration with the FCSAA.
Brain Bowl is More Than a Competition
When asked what she likes about Brain Bowl, Coach Asha Brunings says that it’s hard to find fault with students who want to learn more.
“Brain Bowl fosters well-rounded students,” Coach Brunings said. “Those mostly interested in STEM fields learn about a wide range of topics in the humanities, and humanities students learn about mathematics and science. They apply what they learn in the class to Brain Bowl, and their Brain Bowl training helps them do better in their coursework. And above all, students from different backgrounds and academic interests interact with each other to perform well as a team.”
Santa Fe College is honored to host this competitive tournament that celebrates our students’ academic achievements and personal growth.