Event planner

County SCIL teams brainstorm conscious-raising events to link proactive organizations to schools and community

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ROSCOE, NY—Comprehensive planning for events such as Earth Day, a Future Careers Convention, The Kitty Kat Games Day for kids, and the day’s winner, Turn Off Your TV and Turn On Your Radio Day put together by Sullivan West, comprised some of the creative brainstorming put forth by students from the Sullivan County Interacademic League (SCIL) teams on March 6.

This marked the fourth of this year’s six SCIL meets, and featured only freshmen and sophomores from Eldred, Roscoe, Livingston Manor, Monticello, Liberty, Sullivan West and Fallsburg. While vying for the coveted Sullivan Cup, awarded to the school with the leading point total by year’s end, the kids got to experience the joys of thinking outside the box as they worked collaboratively with their teammates on the day’s mission.

This time out, they were called upon to conceptualize a six-hour event sponsored by a school-related service organization, and each team had to plan on involving approximately 75 students, parents or community members.

Prior to the judges’ scrutiny by morning’s end, each team had to include an agenda with stated objectives, a plan for a meal and a budget. A public service announcement was another requisite piece, as was a poster to promote the event.

Soon the gym and Roscoe’s two computer labs were abuzz with activity as the teams divided the workload according to team members’ talents. Artists worked on posters, communicators crafted the announcement, graphic designers went to work on the flyers and math wizards crunched numbers for the budget.

In no time, the county’s best and brightest quickly showed their creative resolve as each team approached the task in its own unique way.

Liberty’s “Read It” day sought to raise awareness for National Library Week, while Monticello’s two teams addressed Earth Day and Turn Off the TV Week respectively.

Sullivan West’s win moved the team up in the standings from fourth to second place, trailing Roscoe, which is still in the lead. Roscoe took second in the day’s competition, as the county’s smallest school continues to hold its own against its bigger counterparts. It was tied for second on the day with Tri-Valley, which retained its composite fifth-place standing.

Liberty finished third on the day and is in third place overall. Monticello took fourth and dropped in the standings from second to fourth.

All the teams are very close in points, and changes in the standings are likely as the final two meets unfold. The next meet will be held indoors again as the weather is still an unknown, but the final match of the year will likely be staged at Hanofee Park in Liberty.

TRR photo by Richard A. Ross
Sullivan West won the fourth SCIL meet of the year as their event planning for “Turn off the TV and Turn on the Radio,” impressed the judges. Sullivan West is now in second place overall on the year just behind Roscoe. Pictured are Hannah Rettoun, front left, Olivia Seidl, Danielle Marino, Allesandra Imbesi, Danielle Meyer and Meghan Lowe; and in the back row Cindy Szeflinski, left, Gabe LaGrutta, Brendan Creegan, R.J. Rosa, Brianna Kline and Artie Norden. (Click for larger version)

TRR photo by Richard A. Ross
Liberty’s Jenny Stolow, left, Kirsten Sauer and Paulina Kleinberger work on the planning for “Read It,” awareness for National Library Week. (Click for larger version)