91福利导航

Academics

91福利导航

Who enjoyed the 19th Annual Sutcliffe Business Bowl on March 29 in the I. King Jordan Student Academic Center?

A. Competitors
B. Faculty and staff
C. Students and alumni
D. All of the above

Group of students, family, and faculty posing.
Student winners of the Sutcliffe Business Bowl pose with members of the Sutcliffe family, including Dr. Ronald Sutcliffe, ’59, in a wheelchair. In the back row, from the left, are Dale Sutcliffe, second-place winner Rayston Fonseca, Jane Sutcliffe, second-place winner Max Skjevelan, first-place winner Kevin Danielson, and Glen Sutcliffe.

The correct answer, of course, is D. 鈥淚t allows students to have a competition, so they can be motivated and interact, but we all play along,鈥 said Emilia Chukwuma, 鈥85, director of the School of Civic Leadership, Business, and Social Change. Professor Chukwuma was also thrilled to welcome back Dr. Ronald E. Sutcliffe, 鈥59, former dean of Gallaudet鈥檚 School of Management. He and his wife Agnes Dunn Sutcliffe, 鈥59, who passed away in 2020, created a fund to sponsor this event, which began in 2003.

Sutcliffe and his children, who came from multiple states to attend, always look forward to this annual reunion at Gallaudet. 鈥淏eing with the students is always exciting for me,鈥 Sutcliffe said. And his daughter Jane A. Sutcliffe, G-鈥92, noted, 鈥淲e鈥檙e competitive and try to answer the questions. I鈥檓 always impressed at how hard it is.鈥

The contest is a chance for undergraduates to demonstrate how much they know about a wide range of business-related topics, explained assistant professor Dr. Michael Janger, who organized this year鈥檚 event. Question categories include accounting, business ethics, economics, marketing, statistics, and more, showcasing what business majors 鈥 and all students at Gallaudet 鈥 have the chance to be exposed to through the program鈥檚 courses. It is also an opportunity to push students to pursue their business goals and passions, which is why Glen W. Sutcliffe had some advice for the crowd. 鈥淪top asking permission and do it. If you have a business idea, do it,鈥 he encouraged.

Man on stage presenting to audience.
Dr. Michael Janger tells the history of Dr. Ronald Sutcliffe and the Sutcliffe Business Bowl

A slate of 14 participants qualified in advance by being the top scorers on a screening test. For the event, they were seated in a semi-circle facing a large screen, each holding a phone to submit their answers to a rapid series of multiple-choice questions, such as:

Who benefits from an import tariff?
A. the government
B. consumers
C. foreign producers
D. everyone

Which level of measurement is your weight?
A. nominal
B. ordinal
C. interval
D. ratio

The U.S. Supreme Court consists of how many justices?
A. seven
B. eight
C. nine
D. twelve

Woman standing on stage with students in chairs on the floor.
Student Samantha Moore helped present trivia questions to the 14 competitors. They were the top scorers on a screening test held prior to the event.

After the first round of 20 questions, the top nine participants with the most correct answers (including A, D, and C for the questions above) advanced. The top six in the second round made it to the final.

Kevin Danielson (undeclared) emerged victorious, earning the $500 first place prize. 鈥淗e was shocked. But Kevin knows his stuff, so I wasn鈥檛 surprised,鈥 Janger said. Because two students 鈥 Rayston Fonseca (Business/Risk Management Insurance) and Max Skjeveland (Psychology) 鈥 tied for second place, both received $300. To make this happen, Professor Chukwuma generously donated $200, which was added to the $100 third place prize. It was an exciting conclusion to an event that felt like a return to pre-COVID days, Janger noted. The competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021, and rebuilding needed to happen last year. He looks forward to an even bigger celebration next year, which will mark the 20th Annual Sutcliffe Business Bowl.

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