STUDENT SPOTLIGHT by Paula J. Forte
Derry Area Academic Quiz Team On April 25th, the Derry Area Academic Quiz team embarked on a trip to Harrisburg to participate in the annual state qualifier for the National Quiz Bowl. Franklin Regional High School had actually won the Westmoreland Quiz Bowl in March. However, the date of the State Bowl coincided with Franklin Regional’s prom, and the students did not want to give up that oncein-a-lifetime experience. Therefore, Derry, who took second place at the Westmoreland Quiz Bowl, was given the opportunity to participate. The students were chaperoned by Mrs. Pat Houpt, the secondary gifted coordinator and quiz team coach, and Ms. Carol Croll, secondary math teacher and National Forensics team advisor, on their trip to Harrisburg. The students who participated were Derek Clawson, Katie Greene, Philip Johnston, Zack Quidetto, Danielle Salandro, and Jason Sheppard. Mrs. Debbie Johnston, Philip’s mother, served as an assistant coach for the team; however, she did not accompany the team to Harrisburg. Katie Greene is the President of Student Council. Katie is also a member of the Mock Trial team, concert choir and the ensemble. An avid reader, she volunteers at Adams Memorial Library. Because she enjoys reading and public speaking, she plans to major in Communications at California University of Pennsylvania in the fall. She would like to work in public relations or as a journalist for the Discovery or History channels. Katie says that her experiences with the quiz bowl have helped her to build confidence in herself and taught her that “winning isn’t everything.” In a similar vein, Derek Clawson’s favorite quote is from Rocky Balboa who said that, “ . . .it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. . . That’s how winning is done!” Derek Clawson is planning to major in art at Juniata College this fall because “I love to draw and to paint, and I am decent at the task.” He would like to work someday as a concept or wildlife artist. He is the president of the Art Club this year; however, he also enjoys going fishing, watching football and reading. In addition to art, his favorite courses are earth and environmental sciences. Danielle Salandro is also planning a career in art. She is majoring in photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York this fall. She chose photography as a major because it was one of her favorite courses in high school. She worked with the stage crew throughout high school and said that she will miss her friends most when Every Story Begins At Home.
she graduates this year. Danielle said that she has learned to “think fast” through her experiences with the quiz bowl. Jason Sheppard said that he has learned that “teamwork is essential for a successful team.” He is planning to attend the Altoona campus of Penn State University majoring in accounting in the fall. His favorite class is AP calculus; however, he said that he enjoyed all of his math and business classes in high school. He is a member of the Sugarloaf 4-H Club and Boy Scout Troop 304. He is also a member of the Academic Excellence Society, the World Languages Honor Society and the varsity soccer team. Zack Quidetto and Philip Johnston were also members of the science team that won this year’s Carnegie Science Center’s Chain Reaction Contraption competition. The boys have already won many accolades for their Rube Goldberg-style contraption. However, each has learned from this competition as well. Zack Quidetto said that he has learned to trust his instincts and be true to himself in high school. Since he enjoys working with his hands to build things, he has decided to matriculate at the Behrend College at Penn State to study mechanical engineering technology with a goal of becoming an engineer. Not surprisingly, his favorite subjects are chemistry and physics. He enjoys sports and was a member of the varsity golf team. He plays hockey and football for fun. He is also a member of the stage crew and the jazz band at school. He credits their team’s comradery for the success that they have achieved. He also was grateful to Mrs. Houpt and Mrs. Johnston for their help in training for the event. Philip Johnston is planning to major in aerospace engineering at the main campus of Penn State University this fall. In addition to being on the quiz team and science team, Philip is a member of the National Forensics League, the Academic Excellence Society, the French Honor Society, the varsity boys’ volleyball team, the varsity boys’ golf team and the jazz band. Philip especially enjoys studying math, science and history in high school. He felt that he learned a lot about time management in high school. He said that he also learned “not to give up even if we aren’t doing well.” Philip is a team player who feels that there were no leaders on their team because “everyone was important.” The team did not win a trip to Disney World in Florida to compete in the national event; however, they did represent our district well. Katie, Derek, Danielle, Jason, Zack and Philip learned that it’s the competing, the trying, and the learning that keep us going.
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July/August 2008 - 7