March 20, 2009

LANSING –  A team of four students from the Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD) will be competing in the finals of the National Academic Bowl at Gallaudet University, Washington D.C., from April 25-28, 2009.

The MSD Academic Bowl Team members are:

·         Ray McCall, sophomore, from Clawson, MI;

·         Asia Riedinger, junior, from Hart, MI;

·         Catie VanBroekhoven, senior, from Grand Rapids, MI;

·         Christian Young, senior, from Romeo, MI.

MSD earned the right to compete in the National Academic Bowl by placing third at the Midwest Regionals.  Young was selected the Most Outstanding Player at the Midwest Regionals.

Also competing at the National Academic Bowl from the Midwest Region are the Indiana School for the Deaf and Minnesota North Star Academy.  They will be competing against teams from the West Region, Southeast Region, Mid-Atlantic Region and Northeast Region.  

“We are very proud of our staff and students at the Michigan School for the Deaf for their academic excellence, and especially proud of the Academic Team for competing at a high skill level to earn a place in the national finals,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan.  “We know they will represent Michigan well.”  

The subject areas for Academic Bowl are:  History and Government; Language and Literature; Science and Technology; Geography; Mathematics; The Arts; Deaf Studies; Current Events; and Popular Culture, Leisure, and Sports.

Coach Angela Laguardia, MSD high school English language arts teacher, and Assistant Coach Laura Patton, MSD high school Science teacher, are preparing the MSD Academic Bowl Team for the national competition at Gallaudet University.  

Gallaudet University established the first Academic Bowl in 1997 with the goal of promoting academic competition among school teams and to foster academic excellence and achievement among Deaf and hard of hearing students across the country.  The Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students is a program of the College of Professional Studies and Outreach at Gallaudet.  For information about the Academic Bowl competition, visit http://ab.gallaudet.edu.