On March 3, West Texas A&M University’s chapter of the English honors society, Sigma Tau Delta, put on the War of the Wits, a fundraiser that pulled together professors from several departments to battle in game-show style.
“War of the Wits is a fundraiser set up like Jeopardy,” Kaitlynn Helm, senior English major and Sigma Tau Delta president, said. “Teams from six different departments will participate.”
Faculty will be representing the English, Communication, Spanish, Philosophy and History, as well as a team from Buff Allies.
Reprsenting the English department were Dr. Steven Severn, Dr. Monica Hart and Dr. Jeff Doty.
The Communication department team members were Dr. Trudy Hanson, Dr. Butler Cain and Dr. Noah Franken.
Mrs. Susan Amos and Dr. Andrew Reynolds represented the Spanish department.
Team members for the Philosophy department were Dr. David Hart and Dr. Daniel Bloom.
The History department was represented by Dr. Bryan Vizzini, Dr. Marty Kuhlman and Dr. Matthew Reardon.
The Buff Allies team consisted of Dr. Kristina Drumheller, Dr. Anand Commissiong and Ms. Alice MillerMacPhee.
“The questions are pop culture related and stem from different generations and decades,” Helm said.
The event was organized to raise funds primarily for Sigma Tau Delta; more specifically, to fund their chapter’s participation in the organization’s international conference in Albuquerque, N.M.
“The money will help us go to the conference,” Helm said. “There are lectures and involvement activities as well as leadership programs. We will also be competing for best chapter display. I hope to increase our awareness as a chapter and get involved more with the organization.”
The money raised will also go towards P.O.E.M., another English organization, and the books donated as an alternative to the $2 entry fee will be donated to the Better World Books charity.
“I know Kaitlynn because she’s our babysitter,” Dr. David Hart, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, said. “She asked me to be a part of it. It’ll be fun for people to have a good time and get a kick out of professors not knowing something.”
The event itself has been an idea of Helm’s for some time.
“I came up with it three semesters ago,” Helm said. “I didn’t feel like I had the awareness to get it done, but now I have great officers and resources, so it’s happening.”
Lana King, senior English major and Sigma Tau Delta Vice President, also worked with Helm during the planning process of War of the Wits.
“Besides Kaitlynn pushing me into joining, I was interested in Sigma Tau Delta because it has great opportunities internationally,” King said. “I created fliers, the t-shirt design and promoted the event.”
War of the Wits was constructed in a bracket-like manner, and the two teams with the most supporters were given a free pass on one question. The first two rounds put three teams against each other, and one team was eliminated from those rounds.
The next round put the highest-scoring teams from the first rounds against each other.
Following that, the second highest-scoring teams from the first rounds competed against each other. The winners from the last two rounds battled each other in final jeopardy.
The winning team was recognized with individual plaques.
