March Goings on
March 6, 2012
Light system replacement to tie up tunnel traffic
March 12, 2012
E.D. White, St. Mary’s Nativity, and Central Lafourche High School were just a few of the local schools that competed in the Louisiana Region I Science Olympiad hosted at Nicholls State University last week. “Our helicopter is made of Balsa wood, Mylar and lots of superglue,” Kathleen Eubanks, a senior at Mout Carmel Academy in New Orleans. “It was hard to cut the Mylar,” said her teammate Korrine Sauvage, a sophomore. “We had to use Exacto knives and an Exacto saw. Mylar is half as thin as plastic wrap.” The two were competing in the helicopter event, held in Shaver Gymnasium, in which participants had to construct a helicopter powered by a twisted rubber band. Each team was judged by how long their helicopter stayed in the air. Also competing in the helicopter event were Hazma Malik, a sophomore at Mandeville High School and senior Mason Williams. “I took us about 15 hours to plan and put together our helicopter,” Williams said. “Our other teammate, Michael Senoff also helped to build it.” “It broke seven or eight times while we were building it,” Malik said. This was the pair’s first time competing, and Malik plans to compete again next year. Williams plans to study engineering when he attends college in the fall. In the Student Union Ballroom, team members Amber Sylvain, an eighth grader at Academy of Our Lady, and freshman Alexis Musacchia were preparing to launch their catapult in the Storm the Tower competition. “This is our first year in the competition, and we want to compete in this competition again next year,” Musacchia said. Luke Konur and Taylor Foret, both eighth graders at E.A. White, also plan to compete again next year. “It took us two weeks to plan and put to plan and put together our catapult.,” Foret said. “This competition sounded fun, and it was fun to plan and put together.” Konur said. In Gouaux Hall, Country Day senior Amy Schully and sophomore Brooke Rittenburg were competing in the tower event. The contest required participants to build a tower made of wood that could support at certain weight being hung from it. “One tower takes eight or nine hours to build,” Schully said. “We only built two because we got a late start this year.” Schully has been doing the tower competition since middle school. “It’s a family tradition. My older siblings did it, and I want to keep it going,” Schully said. “It’s my favorite competition, and it’s fun.” Rittenburg plans to compete again next year. Twenty four teams – 10 middle school and 14 high school- took part in the event. Division B schools that will go on to the state competition are: First Place: E. D. White Catholic High School; Second Place: Academy of Our Lady; Third Place: St. Paul’s Episcopal School; Fourth Place: St. Matthew the Apostle School; and Fifth Place: Centerville School Division C schools that will go on to the state competition are: First Place: Benjamin Franklin High School; Second Place: Mount Carmel Academy; Third Place: Academy of Sacred Heart; Fourth Place: St. Martin’s Episcopal School; and Fifth Place: Mandeville High School.
Taylor Robichaux, left, and Erice Laussade, both sixth graders at St. Mary’s in Raceland, make last minute adjustment to their catapult before the Storm the Castle event at the Louisiana Region I Science Olympiad competition at NSU.
