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Hernando Today

Academic Challenge Equals Merriment, Lopsided Score

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Linnea Brown

Published: January 30, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - They started off on a good foot.

When asked to match four totalitarian leaders to the nations they ruled, Hernando County School Board vice chairman Jim Malcolm hit the buzzer and answered correctly, clenching his fists triumphantly.

But then the questions started coming faster and faster.

"The average human adult has (how many) quarts of blood?" moderator Mary Krabel asked.

"Eight," Superintendant Wayne Alexander answered.

"Six," he corrected himself, a second later.

Too late.

Nearly two hours later, district officials were defeated 254-85 by six local high school students on Hernando County's academic team as part of an "academic challenge," held in the district's board room in Brooksville on Monday.

"You guys annihilated us," Malcolm told the students afterward.

Similar to a trivia show, the competition pitted the board members and Alexander against students who will represent the district at a state competition in Orlando in April.

With questions taken from past competitions, the subjects ranged from complex algebra equations to music theory and physics.

"I knew it was going to be lopsided. The kids are really smart," said the team's coach, Springstead High School English teacher Steve Davey.

The competition provided a bellyful of laughs, reminding adults everywhere of just how much they've forgotten since high school.

And things that weren't even being taught until recently — such as the different parts of an "IP address," or Internet Protocol address.

"What is she talking about? What is that, anyway?" Malcolm asked.

Board member Pat Fagan drained points by quickly pushing his team's buzzer, then answering questions incorrectly — earning the affectionate nickname of "trigger-fast Fagan" from Alexander.

"We've been defeated by the 'Fagan factor,'" Malcolm deadpanned.

However, the students seemed more concerned with learning the answers to questions they missed than gloating about their "big win."

"I thought it was really sad that we lost in the five-point round," said Tara McMahon, 18, of Springstead.

Made up of students from three of the district's high schools, the team's other members are Camille McAvery, 17, and Raphael Pintaalle, 16, of Springstead; Kindo Lee, 17, and Keri Mongrelluzzo, 17, of Central High and Kim Steinman, 16, of Hernando High.

The students rattled off the plethora of advanced placement classes they are enrolled in: European history, physics, government, environmental science and calculus, among others.

"There are a lot of kids that are very, very smart that don't participate," Davey said. "It's just not a priority. But the kids that do (participate) have a hunger for it, and that's important."

Each week, the students meet after school to practice for upcoming competitions, including one in February and the big state contest, which will take place over three days of the students' Spring Break. Hernando's team won first place in 1998.

"They could have done better (Monday), had they really tried," their coach said.

After the competition — which is expected to air on the board's local HITV education channel in coming weeks — the board members and Alexander shook the students' hands.

"Now they're going to go to school and brag that they beat the school board," Fagan said, chuckling.

The first of its kind, Davey said he hopes to make the competition between the students and district officials an annual one.

With one stipulation.

"Can we leave the math questions out next time?" asked board member Diane Bonfield.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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