Chalked Up: South Side students make playoffs at quiz competition
While they may not have taken home the gold, students from South Side High School were able to show off their skills at the 2024 Small School National Championship Tournament last month.
On April 27, the group of fast-thinking students competed against 87 other teams at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago to answer questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture. Students representing the South Side Area School District in the competition included Allen Cox, Joshua Hogenboom, Sarah Janney, Jayce Nadzam, Jacob Paciello and Nathan Smith, all bringing a unique set of skills to their team.
"Matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration, since no individual player is likely to be an expert in all subject areas," said representatives for the National Academic Quiz Tournaments. "Participation in quiz bowl both reinforces lessons from the classroom and encourages players to develop new intellectual interests."
The group of Beaver County teenagers narrowly beat several schools and made it to the playoffs in the competition, but were unfortunately defeated by the team representing students at West Point High School in Cullman County, Alabama. The division champion was eventually named as Hastings High School from the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District in Westchester County, New York
Even though the students didn't get to take home the grand prize of the competition, South Side High School's team was ranked as eighth place in the Traditional Public School Division and was ranked as the best performance out of nine Pennsylvania schools. In addition to this accolade, an all-star honor was given to Paciello for answering 104 tossup questions correctly in the preliminary rounds.
Point Park University announces new MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts
A new graduate program is coming to Point Park University at the end of this year, offering courses that will help creatives learn how to market their skills and turn their artistic specialties into businesses.
Last month, officials for the college announced they will begin to offer a "Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts" in December. Throughout this new program, students will work with commercial business and local nonprofits to gain experience in pitching ideas, publication of work and the planning of artistic projects.
“For most artists and creative thinkers, passion about their work alone is not enough," Kiesha Lalama, managing and artistic director of Point Park's Pittsburgh Playhouse, said in a press release for the announcement. “Knowledge of fundraising, marketing, social media and other business applications are essential to making any creative endeavor a sustainable reality."
The program will pair these graduate students with a full-time faculty member for a one-on-one mentorship experience that aligns with their academic interests or artistic focuses. According to Point Park University's website, the program will offer in-person laboratory experiences, but students can learn from home with remote learning serving as the primary method of instruction.
“Point Park University is the perfect confluence for this unique program," said Lalama. "Creative thinkers and artistic entrepreneurs will now have a pathway to realizing their visions and earn a valued M.F.A. degree at the same time."
More education news to note:
Several school safety grants were awarded to Beaver County school districts by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's School Safety and Security Committee last month, with nearly $1.2 million going towards mental health resources and improvements to school building security. According to the agency, over $47 million was awarded to schools across the state in this most recent round of funding.
The Beaver Valley Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) sponsored the annual Girls' Recognition Night at the Community College of Beaver County on April 11, giving awards to students in the eighth grade who excelled in the subjects of math and science. At the event, several women from STEM fields talked to the students about career opportunities available to them and all of the girls were given free tickets to visit the Carnegie Science Center for their achievements.
On April 26, the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced it awarded more than $900,000 in grant funding to support local school districts' new food service equipment purchases in cafeterias. Several districts from Beaver County were announced as recipients, including Aliquippa, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit, Hopewell Area and Western Beaver.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle has announced that nearly 18,000 students who attended The Art Institute between 2004 and 2017 will receive discharges of balances as a part of federal student debt relief actions. This is expected to bring relief for more than $345 million for former students of the Art Institute's campuses.
In a notice to parents, the board of directors for the Moon Area School District announced it will hold a public hearing at 6: 30 p.m. Monday, May 13, to decide whether they will close Hyde Elementary School in the spring of 2025. The potential closure of Hyde Elementary has caused many community members to speak out against the suggested plan to consolidate schools, as many of the parents in the area rely on the school's proximity to the Mooncrest neighborhood and the comprehensive support for the ESL community within the building.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Chalked Up: New master's program at Point Park University
