SFP Scientists Make INTEL Semifinals

St. Francis Prep students have done it again. For the 10th consecutive year, the Fresh Meadows high school made it to the semifinal round of the Intel Science Talent Search.

America’s oldest and most prestigious science competition, Intel draws the country’s brightest young scientific minds to compete for $1.25 million in scholarships.

Two Prep seniors Eleanor Reilly and Anuradha Singh were among 300 high school seniors named semifinalists from a pool of 1,602 entrants representing 45 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Reilly’s research paper was titled: “AB Accumulation Prompts Malfunction of the Ubiquitin-Proteosome System Which Impairs Multivesicular Body Sorting and Recycling Endosomal Action.”

A parishioner at Holy Family, Flushing, she hopes to attend Harvard or Yale this fall.

Singh’s studies are titled: “The Colavita Effect Revisited: A Behavioral Study of the Automaticity of Multisensory Integration and Its Behavioral Consequences.”

Singh aspires to do her undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University, New York University or CUNY Honors College.

As semifinalists, each young woman received $1,000 and an additional $1,000 per student was awarded to St. Francis Prep.

The Prep’s Science Research Program, headed for the past decade by Mary Ann Spicijaric, SFP ’95, requires a three-year commitment from students. During sophomore year, they begin an intense literature review, starting with popular articles and moving onto scientific journal articles. Each student then chooses a topic and connects with a researcher who will be their mentor as they conduct their research, usually over the course of two years.

This year, St. Francis Prep was the only Catholic high school in the diocese to have students achieve the semifinal round. It was the only Catholic high school in the nation with more than one semifinalist.

Soup’s On! Lent Begins at

St. Mark’s

St. Mark’s Youth Group served up an evening of fellowship in Sheepshead Bay when they hosted the Fourth Annual Soup & Bread Supper on Feb. 6.
Following the 7:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Mass, around 40 parishioners, Father Joseph Grimaldi, pastor, and the Sisters of Notre Dame, gathered in the school auditorium to share a simple meal and some camaraderie. Youth Group members cooked, served and bussed tables. Each guest made a free-will donation and the proceeds, about $75 in all, went to St. Mark’s chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

Your Lenten Challenge 2008

Lent is here and if you haven’t figured out how to make the best of this season, the Youth Page is here to help. Look for a box like this each week. It will offer you, our beloved teen and young adult audience, creative ideas for prayer, thought and action for the weeks leading up to Easter.

WEEK THREE (Feb. 24 - March 1): We already remember in our prayers the servicemen and women who risk their lives to protect this country every day. This week, send a letter to an American soldier who has been wounded in the line of service. Introduce yourself, talk about your interests and activities. Perhaps you may receive a note in return. Send letters to: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20307-5001.

*Remember to abstain from meat on all Fridays during Lent.

Youth Views

Which two candidates would you like to see vying to succeed President Bush in the White House? Which one of the two do you think would come out on top? Why?

Sean Donnelly Holy Cross H.S. Senior Barack Obama and John McCain. My prediction for president is Obama. He is a man who comes from the roots of America and understands the people.	Kevin Kiprovski St. John’s Prep Freshman I want to see Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee because both of their ideas benefit the working-class American. I believe Clinton will win because she is a Democrat. Because of Bush, many people now favor the Democrats.

Paul Perez St. John’s Prep Freshman I think that Barack Obama and John McCain will be the top two candidates. I think John McCain will win because he has more experience in politics and war.	Lauren Roeder St. John’s Prep Freshman Honestly, I would have to look closer into the candidates and their beliefs to answer this question but I would be looking for a candidate who is pro-life and has qualities to lead this country in times of struggle.

Caroline Mahony St. John’s Prep Freshman John McCain and Hillary Clinton. I want McCain to come out on top because he and I share most of the same views.	Thomas Dabrowski St. John’s Prep Freshman I would like to see Barack Obama and John McCain compete to be president. I would rather see Obama win though because I like his ideas and plans for the nation’s future.

 

Brittany Meskiewicz St. John’s Prep Freshman The two candidates I want to see vying are Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee. I feel both have the best interests of our country at heart.	John Reilly St. John’s Prep Junior Hillary Clinton would be a good competitor. She’s witty and knows the facts but John McCain is who I see succeeding. With the war, we need someone with military experience and his reinforcement on the issue is overwhelming.

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