Youths win history exhibit awards and geography bee; 'kick butts'

S everal Carson High School students won top awards during the National History Day in Nevada Contest on March 19 in Carson City.

Leandro Quispe received first place for his individual exhibit, "Los Antepasados." He also won the Hazel Bretslaff award for Best Exhibit. As a first-place winner, Quispe is eligible to compete in the National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland in June.

Sarai Inzunza was awarded second place for her exhibit, "Languages? Did you Know That ..."

Andrew Whisler and Jay Pichler earned a second-place award for their group exhibit, "Communication and Silicon."

Alma Ramirez, Lodegario Ramirez, Erendira Gallegos and Ricardo Torres received an honorable mention for their exhibit, "Las Raizes Aztecas."

All students were sponsored by CHS teacher Adam Williams.

Y outh at Silver City's Internet Café had a busy afternoon April 14. It was national Kick Butts Day, and there were various "campaigns for tobacco free youth" across the country.

Members of Virginia City's Teens Against Tobacco Use gave a demonstration of the damage tobacco smoke causes human lungs by showing healthy and smoke-damaged pig lungs. They also showed the types of toxic ingredients usually found in cigarettes.

T yler Collins, a sixth-grader at Carson Middle School, and Maiya Gessling, a seventh-grader from Eagle Valley Middle School, were top finalists on April 1 in Las Vegas at the Nevada State National Geography Bee. Tyler tied for sixth place, and Maiya placed fourth.

To be selected for the state geography bee, Tyler and Maiya won the geography bees at their respective schools then completed a written exam and achieved high enough scores to become two of the 100 students participating in the state competition.

"We should be proud of our local middle schools and these geographically informed students," said Tyler's mother, Tarron Collins. "These students placed in the top 10 at the state competition."

Tyler has been to the state competition the past two years, when he was in fourth and fifth grades.

Thursday was Kiwanis Day in the Nevada Legislature, and a Kiwanis resolution was given in both houses. Kiwanis International has a number of districts around the world, according to Carson City Kiwanis member Ken Beaton.

Carson City Kiwanis is in the California, Nevada, and Hawaii, CalNevHa District. The governor from the CalNevHa District, Larry Leland, appeared at the Legislature on Thursday. In addition to speaking at a luncheon after the legislative session, Leland accompanied Dan Nevin, lieutenant governor for Division 45, to the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada. Division 45 includes the Kiwanis clubs of Carson City, Carson Valley, Dayton township, Fallon, South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. Nevin is employed in the office of the Carson City Fire Department.