Econ students go to state
Como economics students won the Urban Regional Econ Challenge at the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis on March 14. The event is administered by the Minnesota Council of Economic Education (MCEE) and sponsored by “The Fed.” Teams of students participate in two competitive divisions. The Adam Smith Division is for AP/IB/college-level economics coursework and the David Ricardo Division is tailored to high school core standards.
The team of Mira Kammueller, Nathan Stover, Divine Uchegbu and Ben Schafer earned first place in the Adam Smith Division and advanced to the State Econ Challenge. The team of Lay Lay Zan, Psaw Paw Kasuh, Tyler Johnson and John Barton took first place in the David Ricardo Division, also advancing to state.
The format included rounds of individual testing in microeconomics and macroeconomics, followed by a team test on international finance and trade. The teams with the top two combined scores in each division faced off against each other in the final Quiz Bowl Round. Como’s victories at that level clinched the Urban Regional title and qualified the teams for the state meet. In addition to the competition, the students enjoyed breakfast and lunch at the Fed and toured the facility, including the cash vault, with Federal Reserve staff.
Cooking up awards at Como
The St. Paul Public School Culinary Competition took place on March 15. It was an opportunity for Family and Consumer Science students throughout the district to prepare and present a meal to a panel of judges. The Como Park Culinary teams took first and third place in the district.
The first-place team of Dina Thoresen, Trinh Nguyen, Ong Vang and Isaac Vue presented a menu of Thai glass noodle salad for a starter, vegetarian pho with a side dish of stock boiled vegetables for the entrée, and coconut rice pudding with lemongrass curd for dessert.
The third-place team of Jillian Brenner, Eloise Rein, Trenton Phillippi and Curtis Persson prepared a tomato mozzarella salad for a starter, beef ravioli (pasta made from scratch) with fresh tomato cream sauce for an entrée, and white chocolate mousse topped with a raspberry sauce for dessert.
All participants took their culinary arts to new levels, impressing the panel of experts in the process.
Students advance to State History Day
Como Park students participated in History Day as part of their study and research in U.S. History classes. The 2017 History Day competition’s theme “Taking a Stand.” Students analyzed primary and secondary sources before choosing a category to present their findings. Categories included website design, exhibit board, documentary, performance and research paper.
Judges from the Minnesota Historical Society visited Como to evaluate projects and select participants for the St. Paul regional competition. Como winners at the St. Paul Regional included Abdullahi Salim, Jahara Ortiz, Felix Lukens and Juan Morales for their documentary film on the Stonewall riots. They will represent Como at the State History Day at the University of Minnesota April 29. Peyton Thomas, Than Dah Aye and Noel Krum wrote research papers that also advanced to state. Anna Caballero and Yeeva Lor received honorable mention at the regional competition for their exhibit on the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case.
Spring play is April 28 and 29
Como’s spring play, “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” will be held Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in the Como auditorium. The actors will attempt to recreate all 209 of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Tickets will be available at the door.
Music to our ears
Como’s Advanced Band competed at the 4AA large ensemble competition and earned a certification of “excellent.” Como’s Concert Choir also received an excellent rating, and the Donna di Cantare (Women of Song) group received a “superior” rating at the 4AA vocal competition. A few dozen of Como’s top musicians and vocalists will join forces with students from across the school district at the Ordway Honors Concert on April 18 at 6:30 p.m.
