[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 51 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATIONS TAFT HIGH SCHOOL, NATIONAL ACADEMIC DECATHLON CHAMPIONS

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to bring to the attention 
of the Senate and to the entire Nation the accomplishment of the 
William Howard Taft High School, in my home State of California. This 
past weekend, the nine members of the Taft academic decathlon team won 
the prestigious U.S. Academic Decathlon championship. This is the 
second national championship captured by the high school in 5 years.
  As I am sure these students could tell you, this has been a long, 
hard road to the 13th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon championships. 
Their hard work and dedication to academic excellence had to overcome 
great challenges--and not just academic. The students at Taft High 
School, along with more than half a million other students, have had to 
suffer through relentless budget cuts to their schools in the Los 
Angeles Unified School District--the second largest school district in 
the United States. Shrinking resources, however, were not the only 
obstacles facing this team.
  These students and their families live in the Woodland Hills area, 
which sustained substantial damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 
They had to experience the traumatic shocks accompanying the 6.8 quake. 
Nevertheless, the students exhibited that resilient ``California 
Spirit,'' saying that being out of school as a result of the January 17 
earthquake only gave them more time to study for the competition. And 
study they did.
  The Taft High School team earned a score of 49,372, defeating the 
next closest team in the battle of the brains by more than 2,000 
points, and capturing more than half of the $30,000 in scholarships 
awarded to individual students.
  The subject areas include math, fine arts, economics, science, and 
literature. Additionally, a super quiz tested the students' knowledge 
of 19 important documents such as the Camp David accords and the 
declaration of the students who revolted in China's Tiananmen Square.
  The Taft High School team consisted of the nine following students: 
Daniel Berdichevsky, 17, who got the highest score of the competition 
and five of nine individual awards; Stephen Shaw, 16, who won three 
subject medals; Rebecca Rissman, 17, who won three medals; Michael 
Michrowski, 17, who won two medals; Andrew Salter, 17, who won four 
subject medals; Chris Huie, 17, who won two individual medals; Sage 
Vaughn, 17, who won one medal; Sheldon Peregrino, 18, who won medal; 
and Kimberly Shapiro, 16.
  The students were under the guidance of Coach Arthur Berchin.
  I am proud of the accomplishments of the Taft High School Academic 
Decathlon Team, and offer them a hearty congratulations for this truly 
outstanding achievement. Their success in the national championship 
sends a message to all--that the ``can do'' spirit of California is a 
vital force.

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