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'Quiz show' - Brattleboro Reformer
Deaf and hard of hearing high school students from throughout the Northeast were at the Austine School this weekend for a regional academic competition.
Sixteen teams competed for an opportunity to travel to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., for the national Academic Bowl.
The Academic Bowl was started in 1997 and gives deaf and hard of hearing students the opportunity to compete in high school quiz tournaments.
It is the first time the Northeast regional competition was held at the Austine School.
Austine came in second place at this weekend's competition and the team will get a chance to compete for the national title in Washington as one of the two top teams in the Northeast.
The Monroe No. 1 BOCES team took first place, with Austine student John Wholey getting an award for outstanding player.
Gallaudet University is the only university in the world that designs all of its classes and programs specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students.
The Academic Bowl has grown into one of the school's largest, national events, as high school students from all over the country go to Gallaudet in April for the finals.
"The Academic Bowl was started to make academic competitions available to deaf and hard of hearing students," said Northeast regional director of Gallaudet University, Kathy Vesey. "In some states deaf students can participate, and accommodations are made, but for the most part, deaf students have not had the opportunity to take part in competitions."
Vesey estimates that about 200 people traveled to Brattleboro this weekend, with students, parents and volunteers coming from as far as Rochester, N.Y., and Falmouth, Maine.
Competition sites were set up all over the Austine campus as teams spent all day Friday and Saturday answering questions on math, science, history and current events.
In the gym, during the semifinals, three screens were set up, with the question appearing on the center screen.
Teams of four read the question, then wrote the answer down and handed it to a judge.
An interpreter on the stage signed the proceedings and the answers from each team appeared on the two side screens.
If a student challenged a question, he or she would stand up and sign the argument, an interpreter told the rest of the audience what the issue was.
"Students get the confidence to stand up and object. That is so important," said Vesey. "They get so much out of this."
While many of the teams come from deaf and hard of hearing schools, some of the competitors are enrolled in public schools and are competing as part of regional teams.
Vesey said for students like that, being in a large group of deaf and hard of hearing students where they are not a minority can be a very powerful experience.
"A lot of these kids are isolated and this opens up a whole new world for them," she said.
Robert Carter is president of The Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and coached the Austine School this year.
Carter nervously watched the semifinal round as the Austine team won and moved on the final round which was held Saturday night.
Carter said Austine has wanted to host the regional competition for years and it was an honor for the Brattleboro school to have staff and students from deaf schools all over New England and New York in town for the weekend.
The competition is one of the largest gatherings for students at deaf schools. Carter said students make contacts which they carry on to college.
After Austine won the semifinal round, Carter said that cemented Austine's chance to travel to Washington for the national competition next month.
"The students see the value of hard work at these competitions," he said. "They are not afraid to try new things. When they come and participate like this it opens up a whole new world for them."
Deaf and hard of hearing high school students from throughout the Northeast were at the Austine School this weekend for a regional academic competition.
Sixteen teams competed for an opportunity to travel to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., for the national Academic Bowl.
The Academic Bowl was started in 1997 and gives deaf and hard of hearing students the opportunity to compete in high school quiz tournaments.
It is the first time the Northeast regional competition was held at the Austine School.
Austine came in second place at this weekend's competition and the team will get a chance to compete for the national title in Washington as one of the two top teams in the Northeast.
The Monroe No. 1 BOCES team took first place, with Austine student John Wholey getting an award for outstanding player.
Gallaudet University is the only university in the world that designs all of its classes and programs specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students.
The Academic Bowl has grown into one of the school's largest, national events, as high school students from all over the country go to Gallaudet in April for the finals.
"The Academic Bowl was started to make academic competitions available to deaf and hard of hearing students," said Northeast regional director of Gallaudet University, Kathy Vesey. "In some states deaf students can participate, and accommodations are made, but for the most part, deaf students have not had the opportunity to take part in competitions."
Vesey estimates that about 200 people traveled to Brattleboro this weekend, with students, parents and volunteers coming from as far as Rochester, N.Y., and Falmouth, Maine.
Competition sites were set up all over the Austine campus as teams spent all day Friday and Saturday answering questions on math, science, history and current events.
In the gym, during the semifinals, three screens were set up, with the question appearing on the center screen.
Teams of four read the question, then wrote the answer down and handed it to a judge.
An interpreter on the stage signed the proceedings and the answers from each team appeared on the two side screens.
If a student challenged a question, he or she would stand up and sign the argument, an interpreter told the rest of the audience what the issue was.
"Students get the confidence to stand up and object. That is so important," said Vesey. "They get so much out of this."
While many of the teams come from deaf and hard of hearing schools, some of the competitors are enrolled in public schools and are competing as part of regional teams.
Vesey said for students like that, being in a large group of deaf and hard of hearing students where they are not a minority can be a very powerful experience.
"A lot of these kids are isolated and this opens up a whole new world for them," she said.
Robert Carter is president of The Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and coached the Austine School this year.
Carter nervously watched the semifinal round as the Austine team won and moved on the final round which was held Saturday night.
Carter said Austine has wanted to host the regional competition for years and it was an honor for the Brattleboro school to have staff and students from deaf schools all over New England and New York in town for the weekend.
The competition is one of the largest gatherings for students at deaf schools. Carter said students make contacts which they carry on to college.
After Austine won the semifinal round, Carter said that cemented Austine's chance to travel to Washington for the national competition next month.
"The students see the value of hard work at these competitions," he said. "They are not afraid to try new things. When they come and participate like this it opens up a whole new world for them."