More than 200 powerhouse pugilists went to the mat on April 25 for Philanthropy Week’s prizefight of the year, the second annual Battle of the Brains.

In a night of fun, feasting and fast-thinking, 36 teams of scholarship students and donors stepped into the ring to vie for the mental heavyweight title of Biggest Brainiac, raise money for student organizations and celebrate the scholarship support that provides educational opportunity.

“This past year, Missouri S&T awarded 11,707 scholarships ranging in size from $1,000 to $30,000,” said Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader during her welcome remarks. “The value of these scholarships total more than $31 million. While these numbers speak volumes, dollar figures alone cannot capture the impact of this financial support.”

Following a buffet dinner, the bell rang on a fight night for the record books, with Dr. Matt O’Keefe, MetE’85, professor of materials science and engineering, serving as emcee and referee for five rounds of trivia. While every contender exhibited bareknuckle bravura, the winning teams were:

• History Club, first place ($500) for a trip to the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
• Delta Omicron Lambda, second place ($400) in support of Russell House
• Alpha Phi Alpha, third place ($200) in support of the March of Dimes Foundation

View more Battle of the Brains event photos here.

Test your own mental mettle by answering these trivia showdown sample questions:

Round 1: Average Joes

1. From which branch of the U.S. military did the term “cup of joe” originate?
2. What does the “G.I.” stand for in G.I. Joe?
3. “Joes” have become a mascot for several universities. Match the Joes to their appropriate schools:

Joes:
Joe Miner
Cowboy Joe
Joe Vandal
Joe Bruin

Universities:
University of Wyoming
University of Idaho
University of California, Los Angeles
Missouri S&T

Round 2: Miner Mash Up

1. How many arches comprise S&T’s Stonehenge?
2. What is the current use of the first dorm on campus?
3. A four-leaf clover is considered lucky, but according to the Guinness World Records, what is the largest number of leaves ever found on a clover?

Round 3: Giving Back

1. What famous actor partnered with S&T alumnus Gary White, CE’85, MS CE’87, to form the philanthropic Water.org?
2. In what year was the Order of the Golden Shillelagh founded?
3. Of the $300 billion donated to the United States in 2012, what percentage came from individuals vs. corporations, foundations and institutions?

Round 4: Silver and Gold

1. What are the chemical symbols for silver and gold?
2. What part of the body is sometimes metaphorically described as silver?
3. In the 007 movie Goldfinger, how does the film’s namesake villain die?

Round 5: Robots
Name these pop culture robots.
1.

2.

3.

Answer Key

Round 1: Average Joes

1. Navy
2. Government Issue
3. University of Wyoming – Cowboy Joe, University of Idaho – Joe Vandal, University of California, Los Angeles – Joe Bruin, Missouri S&T – Joe Miner

Round 2: Miner Mash Up

1. 5
2. Chancellor’s Residence
3. 56

Round 3: Giving Back

1. Matt Damon
2. 1977
3. 70%

Round 4: Silver and Gold

1. Ag and Au
2. The tongue
3. Sucked out the window of a plane in flight

Round 5: Robots

1. HAL 9000
2. R2-D2
3. Wall-E