|
 | 
Nov-06-2009Kids' skills an energy issue, first lady says(topic overview)
CONTENTS:
SOURCES
FIND OUT MORE ON THIS SUBJECT
National Science Bowl teams from Takoma Park Middle School and Landover's Kenmoor Middle School competed at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Obama and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu read questions, such as what organelle carries out cellular respiration in human cells, to students during the eight-minute competition. [1] "So that's why were so pleased by what folks here at the Department of Energy are doing to get young people excited about science." After her speech, Mrs. Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu took turns asking questions of 7th and 8th graders from Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, Md., and Takoma Park Middle School in Takoma Park, Md., during an unofficial practice Science Bowl competition.[2]
"Particularly when it comes to math and science." To that end, Obama and Chu led seventh- and eigth-graders from the Science Bowl teams of Kenmoor Middle School and Takoma Park Middle School both of Maryland, in an abbreviated practice round of competition.[3]
Regional winners are flown to Washington for the national competition, which takes place in April. Thursday's competition was for fun, not advancement in the tournament, but if Obama keeps her word, tonight the president will be told that the seventh- and eighth-graders of Takoma Park Middle School won the only first-lady-moderated Science Bowl round in history. At the end of the event, Obama elicited a collective "awww" from the audience when, flanked by Secret Service agents, she stepped off the stage to shake hands with the Department of Energy employees in the front row.[3]
The first lady and Energy Secretary Steven Chu also hosted a practice round for middle school students who compete in the Science Bowl, a national science and math competition run by the department.[4] The First Lady visited the Department of Energy as part of her wider federal agency tour throughout the city. This visit was a little different than her dozen past visits, as today Mrs. Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu played game show host. '''I'''m like Alex Trebec and Secretary Chu is like my Vanna White,''' the First Lady joked, as she kicked off a practice round of the Science Bowl.[5]
WASHINGTON — On a visit to the Energy Department on Thursday, first lady Michelle Obama quizzed middle-school students about red blood cells and nanotechnology during a practice science quiz competition. Mrs. Obama also praised department employees during her 13th stop on a tour of the federal bureaucracy. "You don't often get the thanks that you deserve," she said. "Sometimes you get a lot of the blame and none of the credit for the progress that has gone on in this country."[2] WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama asked middle-school children about science during a visit to the Energy Department. Mrs. Obama has been visiting federal agencies since her husband took office early this year. The visit Thursday to the Energy Department was her 13th stop on her agency listening tour. The first lady praised agency employees for their role in energy security, bolstering the economy and preserving the environment.[6]
The National Science Bowl is a national quiz bowl competition sponsored by the Department of Energy. This year's competition will be held in April and May at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase. Obama visited the department as an effort to visit all federal agencies and their employees to offer her appreciation for the work they do in running the country, she told the audience before the competition. She said she intended to visit the department earlier in the year, but her husband, President Barack Obama, who visited employees in February, went instead. "I was supposed to be here earlier but this other guy bumped me out of the scene," Obama said, smiling.[1] Obama said there are 20,000 students among 1,800 schools nationwide that participate in the National Science Bowl. More than 100 Department of Energy employees help run the national championship in May, and more than 6,000 volunteers help run regional competitions across the nation, she added.[1]
All of you all have served as coaches, as timekeepers, as judges, and scorekeepers. It's my understanding that more than a hundred employees here at the Department of Energy help run the national competition in Washington, and more than 6,000 volunteers contribute their time to run regional competitions across America. This includes one individual in particular that I want to just acknowledge who has run the entire operation every year for the past 19 years, and who's waited to retire, I understand -- she put off retiring until she can make it an even 20 years. She's grown this program from just a handful of schools to an institution that's inspired more than 150,000 students since it began in 1991. I want us to take a moment to recognize Sue Ellen Walbridge for her terrific work.[3]
I try not to take it personally. These visits are helpful to me, they're helpful to the administration, because I've said this before: The President and I, we're the new kids on the block here in Washington, D.C. And many of you have been doing this work for longer than I've been alive. Several of our long-term employees here at the Department of Energy are right in the front row, and I want us to take some time to give them a round of applause for their decades of service. (Applause.) I have to say I'm always amazed when I see folks and I hear how long they've been working, because they look too good to be -- have been here -- (laughter) -- some people for 30, 40, 50 years. They must have started when they were 10. (Laughter.) We are grateful to you, and you deserve this recognition as well as everyone who's working hard in all of the federal agencies.[3] "But today we have the real deal." Chu thanked Obama for her visit to the department, which he said would be helpful in "elevating the social status of nerds everywhere." During her long-awaited visit Thursday, Obama congratulated audience members on their long years of service to the department. "The president and I are the new kids on the block here in Washington DC," she said. "And many of you have been doing this work for longer than I've been alive." Obama praised staff members for their decades of devotion to the department, which is responsible for climate change research, nuclear security, and energy efficiency efforts. She said that if the work of the Department of Energy is to continue, the nation will have to improve its education.[3]
The event was part of Obama's tour of federal agencies. The first lady was originally scheduled to visit the Department of Energy in February, but Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, who introduced Obama, said the White House canceled her appearance at the last minute and sent a "substitute."[3] A quiz bowl competition became a White House affair Thursday when First Lady Michelle Obama doled out questions in an unofficial match between two Washington metropolitan-area middle schools.[1] First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the practice competition in an auditorium at the Department of Energy, where longtime DoE employees made up the audience.[3]
First lady Michelle Obama called on states to improve childhood education in math and science Thursday as a way to improve U.S. energy production.[4]
"We can't transform our energy future unless we transform our education system, particularly when it comes to math and science," Obama said. "That's why we're challenging states to raise their standards, to modernize their science labs, to upgrade their curricula, and recruit and train qualified teachers." During remarks to Department of Energy staffers, Obama praised them for their dedication and urged them to pass the torch to the next generation of scientists and researchers.[4] Mrs. Obama said it was up to the next generation to continue the Department'''s efforts and that being able to do so depends on a strong education in math and science. '''We all know we can'''t transform our energy future, unless we transform our education system,''' she said, '''Unless we ensure that every child in America gets a good education, particularly when it comes to math and science.''' She continued, '''That'''s why we'''re challenging states to raise their standards. To modernize science labs, to upgrade their curricula, and to recruit and train qualified teachers who will make these subjects more alive, more interesting, more engaging.'''[5]
Mrs. Obama commended the agency's educational initiatives. "We all know that we can't transform our energy future unless we transform our education system," she said.[2]
Mrs. Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu took turns asking questions of area middle-schoolers who participate in the department's science bowl competition. [6] The Energy Department coordinates Science Bowl competitions around the country. Winning teams from each regional competition will compete at the National Science Bowl this spring.[2]
Ten students from two Maryland middle schools held a high-stakes practice for the regional Science Bowl competition Thursday in Washington. There were no prizes on the line, just a moderator who promised to report the results of the competition to her husband - the president.[3] The Science Bowl is a national competition for middle and high school students interested in math and science.[4]
The Science Bowl is a science and math competition for middle- and high-school students across the country.[3]
Obama applauded the Department of Energy for encouraging youth to pursue science and math careers and commended students who put in long hours and work nights to prepare for competition. She said the competition breeds not only knowledge but also discipline.[1] Before challenging a group of middle school students on math, blood cells, and physics, Mrs. Obama had some kind works for the department'''s employees. She praised them for years of hard work and for continuing to get kids exciting about science.[5]
There are 36 middle school and 60 high school teams that participate in Maryland, said Jeff Sherwood, a Department of Energy spokesman.[1]
The Department of Energy runs the 19-year-old program, which consists of regional competitions attended by as many as 20,000 students from 1,800 schools.[3] The Energy Department has organized and sponsored the national student competition since 1991.[5]
Kenmoor Middle made it to national competition in 2007. "We knew that these were teams that competed in the past," said Stephanie Mueller, a Department of Education spokeswoman. "We basically reached out and saw if they wanted a chance to practice."[1]
I'm like Alex Trebek -- (laughter) -- and Secretary Chu is like my Vanna White. (Laughter and applause.) Now, this competition won't -- (laughter) -- this competition won't count because it's sort of just like a practice round.[3] None at all. What are we going to do now? I think Secretary Chu is going to come back up, and then we're going to get this competition started. (Applause).[3]
Let me begin by thanking Secretary Chu for that warm introduction. As you know, Secretary Chu isn't just a brilliant scientist, he's also an inspired leader, and he's bringing new ideas and perspectives to Washington, challenging all of you, all of us, to look at your own work, at our own work, in a whole new way. We are so incredibly grateful for his leadership. My husband loves his Cabinet. He was extremely excited that he had a real nerd on his team. (Laughter.) He talked about it for weeks on end.[3]
"Secretary Chu is like my Vanna White." Chu thanked Obama for visiting the department, which he said would be helpful in "elevating the social status of nerds everywhere."[4] "Secretary Chu is like my Vanna White." Most of the questions seemed to stump both the audience and the moderators, but the students handled them with ease. (Sample question: Divide and simply the following, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form: y divided by three divided by five over nine.[3]
The first lady asked the teams questions and, if the contestants answered correctly, Chu asked a bonus question. [3] The first lady said the agency's work has been critical for bolstering the economy, promoting national security and preserving the environment. "What you're doing here couldn't be more urgent," she said. "And it's not easy. Everyone knows it's not easy."[2] Your work is critical for our economy and our national security and preserving our environment for our kids and our grandkids. That's the work that you do. It's not easy. Everyone knows it's not easy. I know that most of what you're working on right now, as hard as you're working, probably won't even be finished this year, or maybe not even this administration, or even during the course of your careers here at the Department.[3]
Thank you so much. (Applause.) Today we're going to witness for ourselves the excellent work Sue Ellen and many of you are doing to run this competition. [3] Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia -- (applause) -- all right, there we go. They're going to give us a little preview of the big day next spring. That's when the competition actually happens, in the spring.[3]
"I know my kids," Obama said. "There's nothing like a little competition to get them going."[1]
Though the match was unofficial, Takoma Park beat Kenmoor, 64-46. Takoma Park eighth-grader Avikar Periwal, 13, of Potomac said he was nervous at first but his nerves flew away once he stepped onstage. "It was sort of like a normal science bowl match," Avikar said. "It was just shorter." Kenmoor eighth-grader Vishnu Rachakonda, 13, of Glenn Dale said he was a "little bit" nervous.[1]
SOURCES
1. Area schools go through some presidential prep work
2. The Associated Press: First lady praises employees at Energy Department
3. Michelle Obama at "Science Bowl" "I'm like Alex Trebek" Transcript, Pool report - Lynn Sweet
4. Kids' skills an energy issue, first lady says
5. First Lady Plays Game Show Host at Department of Energy - Political Punch
6. The Associated Press: First lady praises employees at Energy Department
GENERATE A MULTI-SOURCE SUMMARY ON ANY SUBJECT
Enter your search query below. WAIT 10-20 sec for the new window to open.
Get more info on Kids' skills an energy issue, first lady says by using the iResearch Reporter tool from Power Text Solutions.
 |
|  |
|
