WHHS advances to 'Challenge' round 3

Moving up to the third round of MSG Varsity’s “The Challenge,” the West Hempstead High School academic team is crushing the competition. After successfully making their way through the first two rounds, the team — consisting of Jason Kappel, Piotr Paluch, Charles Varrone, Caroline Moyer-Laurin and Pierre Leconte — has shown its strength on the academic quiz show.

Team advisor Pamela Gordon has been preparing the students to further their success as they move through the rounds, which continue to get tougher. Gordon has kept up the practice strategies they have relied on in the past.

“We’re working together after school” she said, “and also having them watch old episodes to get the feel of it.”

West Hempstead High School’s in-house Quiz Bowl has also been incorporated into the team’s preparation. The event, in which teachers create the questions, follows a question-and-answer format, according to Gordon, who said the Quiz Bowl went a long way to helping the students prepare.

“I’m very pleased,” Gordon said of the students’ hard work and success. “They are all very smart.”

School Superintendent John Hogan has also noted the students success.

“On behalf of all of us in the school district, we are extremely pleased and excited about our students’ success on ‘The Challenge,’ but not at all surprised,” he said. Hogan also noted the success of each member and the reflection their collective success has on the district.

“Our administrators, teachers, parents and most importantly the students themselves recognize the value of serious and demanding academic work,” Hogan said. “Such success also speaks volumes about the educational quality of West Hempstead High School. On an individual level, the students’ success on ‘The Challenge’ highlights and honors the commitment they have to their learning. I congratulate them and all the students who compete … and look forward to the next competition.”

The third round is expected to take place sometime next month.