Sutcliffe Business Bowl returns; students demonstrate their knowledge of business and commerce

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

The correct answer, of course, is D. “It allows students to have a competition, so they can be motivated and interact, but we all play along,” said Emilia Chukwuma, ’85, director of the School of Civic Leadership, Business, and Social Change. Professor Chukwuma was also thrilled to welcome back Dr. Ronald E. Sutcliffe, ’59, former dean of Gallaudet’s School of Management. He and his wife Agnes Dunn Sutcliffe, ’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. “Being with the students is always exciting for me,” Sutcliffe said. And his daughter Jane A. Sutcliffe, G-’92, noted, “We’re competitive and try to answer the questions. I’m always impressed at how hard it is.”

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’s event. Question categories include accounting, business ethics, economics, marketing, statistics, and more, showcasing what business majors — and all students at Gallaudet — have the chance to be exposed to through the program’s 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. “Stop asking permission and do it. If you have a business idea, do it,” he encouraged.

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

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. “He was shocked. But Kevin knows his stuff, so I wasn’t surprised,” Janger said. Because two students — Rayston Fonseca (Business/Risk Management Insurance) and Max Skjeveland (Psychology) — 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.