And then there were four: Academic Bowl heads to the finals

Final rounds of Academic Bowl to distinguish the brilliant from the brainy

What is the capital city of Australia? Which American writer set many of his short stories and novels in Yoknapatawpha County? What group has been the focus of French President Sarkozy's immigration reform?

If you were able to answer all three questions correctly, there is a chance you may have been able to help your team rack up a few wins in the 2010 ASU Academic Bowl.

But that only would have kept you alive for a couple of matches at best.

To be able to beat out three-quarters of the competition – to be able to come back from a 230-120 deficit to ultimately defeat your opponent – well, you have got to be on top of your game. And the four teams that are advancing to the semi-finals tonight are on top of their game. By the sheer fact that they have made it to the final rounds of Academic Bowl competition already distinguishes them as elite competitors with a profound knowledge of all things science, math, history, politics, geography, literature and, yes, pop culture.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your finalists:

Showing off their seasoned knowledge of politics, culture and literature, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Gold) team has blown away the competition in addition to surprising spectators with their ability to correctly answer questions outside the conventional realm of a communications education, particularly math and science.

It is no revelation to anyone that the W. P. Carey School of Business team will be part of the final rounds Thursday night. With a head for business and a propensity for upward trajectories, the team likely will continue to play this game the way they always have – with extraordinary skill and ambition. Competitors should take note of this team’s daunting knowledge of history, humanities and the arts.
 
There is much to be said for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Gold and Maroon teams in regard to this event. The winner of the Academic Bowl for three consecutive years, CLAS is not only a worthy opponent, but an unstoppable force with which to be reckoned. As both CLAS teams continue to shock and awe the university with their masterful grasp of the game (Team captain Kenneth Lan is known to take copious notes at each match – except, of course, the ones in which he is playing.), it is reasonable to say that the finalists probably can’t help but wonder if the final match of this Academic Bowl once again will pit CLAS Maroon against CLAS Gold.

And there is one sure way to find out – come out tonight to the KAET-Channel 8 studios on the Downtown Phoenix campus. The final televised rounds are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.