The first annual Chuuk State HS Academic Challenge Bowl

(Sitting) LEFT TO RIGHT-  LOUIS PHILIPPE SOLTONES- 10th grade; DAWN MERDI BISALEN – 11th  Grade; FREDDY ELIAS – 9th grade; Teacher/Coach Rebecca O’Hare, Standing – far Right  
2nd Place CHS (Standing) LEFT TO RIGHT - TIARA WILLIANDER – 12th; SARAH HOPE SOS – 12th; MAJESTY HELICKIOS – 12th; 
Teacher/Coach Max Mosley, Standing – extreme Left

November 1, 2012 Weno, Chuuk held the first annual Chuuk State High School Academic Challenge Bowl is now history and it will be forever recorded that SDA Christian High School bested all the other Chuuk high schools in this event.  Congratulations to SDA . . .

The Chuuk Women’s Council organized and sponsored this Academic Challenge Bowl that took place during the week of October 23 – 26, 2012, at the Truk Stop Hotel.  All seven of Chuuk State’s public and private high schools were invited to participate, but only Chuuk High School, SDA Christian School, Berea Christian School, and Mizpah Christian School accepted the challenge.

Three separate venues were used at the Truk Stop Hotel during the three days of academic competition so the same questions could be asked of each competing team.  Competition took place on the patio of the Truk Stop, and in the Hard Wreck Conference and TV rooms with supporting spectators cheering on their favorite school and students.

Paul Hadik, former resident of Kosrae who now lives in Chuuk and works in education here, created more than 300 questions for this Challenge Bowl.   Long time local expat residents Clark Graham and Bill Stinnett asked a total of 240 questions during the elimination and championship rounds that included topics from the FSM, Literature, Education, Time, Science, Food, Flags, Famous People, Chuuk, Abbreviations, Bible, Geography, Sports, Military, Animals, Games, Fishing, Biology, Mathematics, Calendar, Weather, Astronomy, Human Body, Vocabulary, Inventions, Explorers, Art, Politics, Music, Poetry, Pacific Islands, Law, Grammar, and Medicine.

After much brain exercise and bell ringing, the 3 member teams from SDA Christian School and Chuuk High School earned the most points during the elimination rounds for correct answers and earned the right to challenge each other in the 60 question Championship Round.

These two teams were evenly matched, and consisted of Louis Soltones (10th grade), Dawn Bisalen (11th grade), and Freddy Elias (9th grade) from the SDA Christian School, and Tiara Williander (12th grade), Sarah Sos (12th grade), and Majesty Helickios (12th grade) from Chuuk High School.  As with all competitions and challenges, everyone is a winner but someone or some team comes out on top, with a few more points than the other person or team.  This event was no different.  

When the question asker was out of questions, and the score keeper added up the point tally, SDA Christian School was declared the Champion of the 1st Annual Chuuk Women’s Council Chuuk State Academic Challenge Bowl.

Expressions of appreciation were extended to the Chuuk Women’s Council for taking the initiative to continue their efforts to promote education in the State of Chuuk; to the Truk Stop Hotel for making comfortable venues available for this event; to Mr. Paul Hadik for his massive contribution to this effort; to Bill Stinnett & Clark Graham who participated as question askers, and to Ms Sunshine Ranik and Ms Carla Billy, both from the Chuuk Women’s Council, who donated their time to serve as score keepers.

Ms. Kiki Stinnett, President of the Chuuk Women’s Council, announced that this Academic Challenge Bowl has been in the works for quite awhile, and finding the right time to hold it had been a challenge.  While the time frame might change next year, the Chuuk Women’s Council will make this an annual event and expressed their hopes that all the high schools in Chuuk will participate next year.

(Source from the Kaselehlie Press)