Best and Brightest Vie in CSI's Academic Olympics
16 high schools are represented in competition in English, math, science and social studies  

Staten Island Advance - Monday, April 21, 2008

A team of students from Staten Island Technical High School in New Dorp captured top honors in Staten Island's 21st annual Academic Olympics competition.

The day-long event at the College of Staten Island, hosted by CSI's Discovery Institute, drew more than 200 of the borough's best and brightest students from 16 public, private and parochial high schools to the Willowbrook campus on April 12, where they vied to answer questions and problems posed in math, science, English and social studies.

Tech took home the championship and trophy for the second consecutive year, having scored the highest total number of points overall, followed by Susan Wagner High School, Sea View, in second place, and St. Joseph Hill Academy, Arrochar, in third place.

Dr. James Sanders, co-director of the Discovery Institute, welcomed students and their teachers and praised their hard work. "The Discovery Institute is in awe," Sanders said, "that more than 200 talented students dedicated a beautiful spring Saturday to compete in our annual Academic Olympics."

While in the past, students competed in the various subjects on different days, this year's competitions in all the major subject areas, English, social studies, math and science, occurred simultaneously on one day. First, second, and third place distinctions were awarded to individual students at each level in each discipline. In addition, the scores from each school were totaled. Overall school first prizes were awarded within each discipline, and overall first, second and third championship prizes were awarded for the entire competition.

In addition to Tech, Susan Wagner and Hill, participating high schools included CSI International High School, Willowbrook; Curtis High School, New Brighton; McKee High School, St. George; Miraj Islamic School, Tompkinsville; Monsignor Farrell High School, Oakwood; Moore Catholic High School, Graniteville; New Dorp High School; Notre Dame Academy, Grymes Hill; Petrides School, Sunnyside; Port Richmond High School; St. John Villa Academy, Arrochar; Staten Island Academy, Dongan Hills, and Tottenville High School.

Tech had the highest team score in English, math and science, while Hill had the highest score in social studies.

Each high school sent a team of up to 16 students to compete in four levels of competition in each discipline. Students were chosen for levels corresponding to or above the course in which they are currently enrolled. The categories included 9th and 10th Year English; 11th and 12th Year English; English Literature; Advance Placement English; First Year Global Studies; Second Year Global Studies; American Studies; Advance Placement American Studies; Math A; Math B; Pre-Calculus; Calculus; Physics; Chemistry; Biology, and Advance Placement Biology.

The winners in each category were:

9th and 10th year English: Valerie Nadal, Susan Wagner, first place; William Muller, Monsignor Farrell, second place, and Erin Geraghty, Tech, third place.

11th and 12th grade English: So Woo, Petrides School, first place; Joseph Lawless, Tech, second place, and Katie Olaskiewicz, Hill, third place.

Literature: Krizia Gupiteo, Tech, first place; Hussein Safa, Susan Wagner, second place; Angela Sigismondi, Hill, third place.

Advanced Placement English: Regina DeSantis, Notre Dame, first place; Charles Biada, Curtis, second place, and Cristina Vignone, Hill, third place.

Global Studies: Olaide Afuye, St. John Villa, first place; Helen Yao, Tech, second place; Xheni Nishku, New Dorp, third place.

2nd year global studies: Gabriela Maica, Susan Wagner, first place; Matthew O'Shea, Tottenville, second place; Nicholas Monti, Susan Wagner, third place.

Advanced Placement American Studies: Daniel White, Tech, first place; Irene O'Hare, Hill, second place; Valentina Tkachenko, Staten Island Academy, third place.

Integrated math (Math A): Joseph Shikhman, Staten Island Academy, first place; Richard Romer, McKee, second place; Saline Redzovic, Miraj Islamic School, third place.

Math B: Daniel Gologorskiy, New Dorp. first place; Paul Sebexen, Tech, second place; Yun Seo, Port Richmond, third place.

Pre-Calculus: Matthew Sands, Tech, first place; JinJoo Nam, Tottenville, second place, and Kevin Alfonso, Susan Wagner, third place.

Calculus: Matthew Sauter, Tech, first place; Justin Kuo, Tottenville, second place; Matt Duffy, Curtis, third place.

Physics: Jasmine Ahuja, Notre Dame, first place; Alex Abadkulov, New Dorp, second place; Druv Das, Tech, third place.

Chemistry: Amanda Levine, Tech, first place; Elizabeth Doyle, St. Joseph Hill, second place; Cory Nelson, Susan Wagner, third place.

Biology: Jenna Pugliese, Hill, first place; Genacy Moody, McKee, second place; Thomas Donegan, Farrell, third place.

Advanced Placement Biology: Daniel Victorio, Susan Wagner, first place; William Petersen, Tech, second place, and Saara Hashmi, New Dorp, third place.

By Diane Lore
Reprinted here with permission from the