Norwin ’ s DECA team swings for states
Article by Anthony Olshanski , Knight Krier President
Hershey was the sight for the annual Pennsylvania DECA State Career Development Conference from Feb . 21-23 .
Students competed amongst Pennsylvania ’ s finest , spanning over 3,300 students and 50 schools . Norwin sported a “ swift ” look , with all 4 officer positions and competing members of the trip being girls , the largest such group ever to be produced at Norwin . Mrs . Hawley chaperoned the group alongside longtime DECA adviser Mrs . Stumpf .
“ It means a lot ,” said DECA president and senior Anna Beresnyak . “ Norwin is one of the smaller chapters in the state right now , so we ’ re trying to build upon that , and also show representation at the state level for our school . Especially when we don ’ t have as big of a chapter , it means a lot in terms of making sure that our school does have a voice within the organization as a whole , and making sure that our students also have that support going forward at future state competitions .”
Beresnyak is a 4-year DECA member and has served as both Vice President ( 2023 ) and President this year . Beresnyak will attend Penn State University for Marketing in the fall .
“ DECA as a whole from freshman year sparked my interest in marketing ,” said Beresnyak . “ Originally I was going to go for accounting , but marketing ultimately sparked my interest after competing in Principles of Marketing freshman year . So that solidified my major .”
On Wednesday , Feb . 21 , students arrived at the Hershey Lodge with sights set on gold . The opening ceremony commenced and students participated in conferences with speakers , hosted by professionals , which helped students become better informed on business and industry .
Thursday , Feb . 22 , had an action-packed competition day for students , starting bright and early directly after breakfast . Students participated in two roleplay scenarios for their categories . After , students sat through professional speakers once more . Lunch came and went , with students having the option of Hershey ’ s Chocolate World or the outlets in Hershey . Wrapping up the night , the event hosted a dance for students , in anticipation of Friday ’ s trophy ceremony .
Freshman Athena Daugherty was a participant for the first time this year at DECA . Against all odds , Athena won the 3rd place trophy for the event “ Hospitality and Tourism ,” and placed in the National event . Although she is not attending the national conference ICDC in San Diego , Athena was proud of her achievement .
“ Overall DECA SCDC ‘ 24 was a great experience and I would encourage everyone to try to join DECA so they are prepared with the characteristics future employers look for ,” said Daugherty .
Science Challenge Squad Article written by Norwin Communications Student Intern , Suhana Navalgund orwin
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Comprising the Science Bowl , Science Olympiad , and Society of Women Engineers ( SWENext ), the Science Challenge Squad ( SCS ) is making great feats in the educational science world by working hard each day for their respective competitions . The Science Bowl team recently competed on February 24 , and made it to the finals — the first time Norwin has done so in the past 13 years ! Winning fourth place overall , the team not only claimed the title but also secured a check for $ 300 for SCS . Meanwhile , the SWENext team recently participated in the Shaler STEAM competition where five female students won second place overall in pre-build as well as spontaneous events . As for
30 NORWIN the Science Olympiad team , they are gearing up for their regional competition at PennWest California , with hopes of advancing to the state competition in April at Penn State Altoona should they place within the top 4 . President Suhana Navalgund expresses her enthusiasm , stating , “ Science Challenge is one of my favorite clubs , which I ’ ve been a part of since middle school . Everyone shares the same goal , fostering a supportive atmosphere where mutual assistance is the norm .” Her sentiments echo the sentiment of the past 5 years , highlighting an incredibly positive environment that transcends traditional science classrooms . Congratulations to the Norwin SCS on their remarkable achievements !