Group recognized as “ most improved ” in the region .
Penn Hills Junior ROTC AMASSING ACCOLADES
Group recognized as “ most improved ” in the region .
The Junior ROTC Naval detachment at Penn Hills High School recently won a number of honors .
The cadets placed seventh at the national Brain Brawl competition in Annapolis , Md . Retired Navy Commander Bob Morabito supervises the Junior ROTC detachment and says he is extremely proud of the cadets ’ performance . The competitors included team captain Christine Spieler , junior ; Jacob Russell , junior ; Andy Oswalt , senior ; Zachary Oswalt , freshman ; and Tatyana Lantry , sophomore . They traveled to the U . S . Naval Academy at the end of April to participate in the competition .
“ Our cadets ’ performance in a national competition such as this confirms what I already know to be true in the Penn Hills School District — the majority of our students are enthusiastic learners who strive for academic achievement ,” Morabito says . “ When given the opportunity , they applied themselves with dedication to do the absolute best they could .”
This was the first time the Penn Hills Junior ROTC detachment had qualified for a national competition since the program began 15 years ago . The national Brain Brawl competition includes questions based on naval science topics , as well as trivia and current events . The cadets studied old trivia questions after school several days a week and reviewed topics including meteorology and astronomy to prepare for the Brain Brawl . Some of the cadets have also participated in other trivia competitions . Although the preparations were tedious , the cadets say they felt they were prepared .
“ Going into the competition I felt a mixture of nervousness , excitement and confidence ,” says Zachary Oswalt . “ I was a little
BY PAUL GLASSER nervous as any athlete would be before a big game .”
The cadets advanced all the way to the semifinals where they placed seventh . A team from Georgia won first place for the third year in a row . The Penn Hills cadets say participating in the competition was a valuable learning experience that will help them improve their performance next year .
“ I am very proud of all the hard work and dedication that we put in this year ,” Lantry says . “ Now I ’ m expecting even more next year .”
The Penn Hills Junior Naval ROTC program recently won recognition as the “ most improved unit ” in the region . The program was also recognized as a “ distinguished unit with honors ” and earned the right to nominate cadets for each of the nation ’ s three military service academies .
In class , the cadets study a wide variety of naval topics including seamanship , military law and leadership skills . The cadets also practice marksmanship with air rifles and prepare for ceremonial drills . Cadets from the Penn Hills Junior Naval ROTC program also recently built a remotely operated submersible and competed in the SeaPerch program . The event emphasizes science , technology and engineering curriculum . The cadets had to maneuver their submersible through an obstacle course .
Each year , the Penn Hills Junior Naval ROTC cadets visit the military park at Buffalo , N . Y ., and tour several decommissioned ships including a destroyer , submarine and cruiser . The cadets stay overnight on the cruiser where they stand watch and eat military rations . “ It really puts you back in the era ,” Andy Oswalt says . For more information visit : phsd . k12 . pa . us / NJROTC . aspx . n
“ When given the opportunity , they applied themselves with dedication to do the absolute best they could .”
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