After 20 rounds of competition, the Mount Paran Christian School Black History Bowl team has once again claimed the championship trophy. In five matches to win, the seven team members bested the other middle school teams in the Final Four competition, hosted on the MPCS campus. After a long, arduous day of buzzing in with responses in a quiz-bowl-style format, MPCS defeated Barber-Spencer Middle School, Garrett Middle School, Lost Mountain Middle School, and defending champions Palmer Middle School.
The competition began during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, with a field of 32 teams. The contingent from MPCS consecutively placed as the number one seed. The Mount Paran Christian School team then advanced to the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8, finally heading to the Final Four. Congratulations to these middle schoolers for winning the 2022 championship.
• Luke Broggi, Captain, eighth grade
• Julienne Geffrard, eighth grade
• Easton George, seventh grade, Most Valuable Player
• AJ Rivers, seventh grade
• Sam Harris, sixth grade
• Scarlett Jones, sixth grade
• Jackson Lim, sixth grade
The MPCS Black History Bowl team coaches were Hasani George, Tangye Watson, Beth Parsons, and Tamareeshi Geffrard.
The Black History Bowl team at MPCS was first formed during the 2019-2020 academic year. MPCS Chief Development Officer Mrs. Jennifer New, a board member of the Kennesaw Teen Center, presented the idea of forming a team to compete in 2020. With the support of school leadership and guidance of Middle School Teacher Mrs. Ashley Lovato, the inaugural MPCS team led the middle school to an exciting win: the team took home the Championship title in 2020. The 2021 team also advanced to the Championship Series and was the runner-up by a 15-point difference.
About the Black History Bowl
The Black History Bowl is a fun, competitive, educational event geared primarily towards elementary and middle school students. Teams of four to six students, each coached by a faculty advisor, compete in multiple rounds of competition; preliminaries are followed by a Championship Series. Teams compete by answering a variety of Black history-related questions in a fast-paced, buzz-in, quiz-style format. The questions include topics ranging from Black fraternities and sororities (The Divine Nine) to entertainment, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, political figures, quotes, sports figures, and STEAM. The Bowl seeks to raise and deepen the awareness of the vital role played by African-Americans in the rich history of our country. For more information about the Black History Bowl, visit https://www.kennesawteencenter.org/black-history-bowl. The Kennesaw Teen Center is dedicated to providing a safe environment where youth are inspired to learn, experience, and achieve beyond limitations. The center focuses on the overall growth of the individual by promoting academic preparation and personal growth, as well as cultural and civic awareness, by providing opportunities for enrichment and exposure. For a more in-depth understanding of the Black History Bowl, visit https://blog.mtparanschool.com/innovations-in-education-teaching-cultural-awareness.
About Mount Paran Christian School
Mount Paran Christian School, the largest private Christian school in Cobb County, is a non-denominational, college-preparatory school for students in preschool age three through grade 12. MPCS is committed to excellence in academics, award-winning arts, and championship athletics, all within a Christian environment with small class sizes. Founded in 1976, MPCS is fully accredited (SAIS/Cognia) and located near Kennesaw Mountain on a 68-acre collegiate-like campus. Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, MPCS unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in truth.
