SAT PREP: Academic Bowl at Cranford High

by Olivia Del Vecchio

Last Tuesday night, the Cranford Rotary Club sponsored Cranford High’s Academic Bowl in order to help prepare juniors for the upcoming SATs. The Academic Bowl, available to every junior at Cranford High School, included twenty-three students who competed for the two available first place titles and 800 dollars each. The award money is intended to be used for college tuition and funds.

The Bowl had seven prizes in total, with two spots for each prize, resulting in Cranford’s fourteen overall winners. The prize money ranged from 200 dollars to 800 dollars, the range in which a student can score on their SATs

The Academic Bowl was modeled after a SAT Vocabulary Bowl. Here's how it works: one of the three judges, a CHS faculty member, produced a word from a list of vocabulary words typically found on an SAT style test. The student then had to correctly define the word. If the definition was precise and accurately described the word, the student would continue to define each word until only two students remained. If the definition was not accurate, the student was disqualified for the prize, and went to compete in the next round.

Before the competition began, Cranford Rotary President, Mr. David Del Vecchio, welcomed and thanked all those who were able to attend. He then went on to give a brief history on the Rotary club and explain the important role Rotary clubs play on the community.

Three weeks prior to the event, contestants were given a list of 5,000 words to study online.  The extra study time proved effective when the Academic Bowl ran on for two and half hours as students perfectly described term after term following the evening's opening word, “affiliate.”

When asked about her thoughts on the student’s preparedness Mrs. Barbara Carroll, one judge at the Bowl, replied, “It wasn’t anticipated that it would take so long… the students were that prepared.”

During the few times where students were stumped by difficult vocabulary terms, the competitors responded with witty remarks and jokes, leaving the audience roaring. The highlight of the night occurred during the fourth round when one student remarked “Recapitulate means to capitulate again!”

The Academic Bowl's sponsor, Cranford's Rotary club, raffled door prizes for audience members during the event. These prizes include 50 dollar Visa gift cards as well as scholarships to the CHS SAT Test Preparation Academy.

“The Academic Bowl wouldn't have been possible without Rotary. This is what Rotary is all about,” stated Principal Rui Dionisio. Also co-sponsoring this event was Hyne's Jewelers, Trinity Episcopal Day School and The Law Offices of Edward Hobbie.

The Academic Bowl was an overall success, with Marko Obradovic and Catherine Miller taking first place and receiving 800 dollars each and Kerry Dugandzic and Jim Sweeeney winning the second place prize of 700 dollars.  Annie Higgins and Molly O'Brien placed third, each receiving 600 dollars.  Fourth place went to, after a standoff consisting of seven rounds, Nicholas Sutera and Colin Henderson. John Wylie and Thomas Philip placed fifth, winning 400 dollars each. Third place winners include Kyle Mallon and Aaron Woufshorndl, 300 dollars each, and seventh place went to Matt Mustillo and Elizabeth Hopta, each receiving 200 dollars.

According to third place winner Annie Higins, “The Bowl went really well... it definitely helped prepare for the SATs.”