CGSC WorldQuest team takes third in competition

Eight faculty members from the Department of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College competed Wednesday evening, May 1, 2024, at WorldQuest, placing third overall.

CGSC WorldQuest team members took part in WorldQuest at the UMKC Volker Campus on May 1, 2024, taking third overall in the competition. Left to right: LtCol Sam Short (Australia); Mr. Dan Honken; LtCol Sam Clarke (Great Britain); Lt. Col. Phil Kerber; Mr. Gary Hobin; Lt. Col. Dave McCaughrin; Dr. Mark Wilcox; and Mr. Joe Donalbain. (photo courtesy Gary Hobin)

The WorldQuest team, sponsored by the CGSC Foundation, consisted of civilian and military faculty, including two international exchange officers. The WorldQuest competition is sponsored annually by the Kansas City International Relations Council and hosted at UMKC’s Volker Campus. The competition brings together teams from area colleges, businesses, and other groups in a test of knowledge and quick recall, with topics drawn from current events, geography, history, and culture. This year’s competition included two teams from Chile who were in Kansas City on a cultural exchange tour.

WorldQuest competition consists of six rounds of questions, each round having ten questions. Most questions are multiple choice, but some require teams to provide a written answer on the round’s answer sheet. This year’s team, made up of faculty with regional expertise, was able to answer some questions quickly. For other questions, brief discussions led to a consensus on the best answer. And for a few, team members agreed on a wild guess! Overall, this year’s WorldQuest team provided correct answers to the preponderance of question, trailing the eventual winning team by only three points.

The objective of WorldQuest and the Kansas City International Relations Council is to bring together people from the area with an interest in international relations, to enhance networking, and to raise awareness of the resources available in this region. This year’s competition displayed the expertise resident at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and strengthened the College’s connections to the surrounding communities.