Continuing their winning streak in Round 3, the academic team from Floral Park Memorial High School is moving on to Round 4 – and closer to the Nassau County finals – of Cablevision’s The Challenge, an academic quiz show designed to test students’ knowledge in a Jeopardy-style format. The match between Floral Park Memorial and Great Neck South High School will air exclusively on News 12 Long Island at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. this Saturday, May 30.
The Challenge, hosted by News 12 Long Island anchor Scott Feldman, can also be viewed anytime through the convenience of video on demand (VOD) through News 12 Interactive, located on iO TV channel 612, or by going to www.powertolearn.com and clicking on The Challenge. Fans of the show can now also visit a dedicated page on Facebook that provides a behind-the-scenes look at the actual studio tapings and offers visitors a chance to sound off, share their experiences and cheer on their high school team.
“Of the 32 Nassau County high schools that competed in The Challenge this season, it has all come down to these four terrific academic teams remaining, two of which will go on to the Nassau County finals,” Trent Anderson, Cablevision’s vice president of education, said. “The pressure is really on now, since the winner of the Nassau County finals may ultimately compete in the tri-state regionals and beyond. We wish Floral Park High School and Great Neck South High School the best of luck in their upcoming showdown.”
In its 12th season, The Challenge includes schools and students from the Bronx and Brooklyn, Long Island, the Westchester/Hudson Valley region, New Jersey and Connecticut. More than 900 students representing 184 tri-state area high schools are participating this season. Teams are typically made up of students who are at the top of their class — academic all-stars who compete based on their knowledge of history, arts and literature, math and science.
Representing Floral Park High School are Thomas Galassi (team captain), Ryan Hauer (team alternate), Julia Palmeri, Sarah Roe and John Surico. Academic advisors are Denise Hayden and Nick Simone.
As this season of The Challenge progresses, schools will vie each week to continue on in the competition, which ultimately results in the best teams from each region facing off against each other later this month. Regional champions will then compete for the ultimate title, Tri-State Challenge champion. The winning team in each region will receive $2,500 and go on to compete for $10,000 in the tri-state championship. Each student participating in the championship match will receive $500.
The Challenge is moderated by popular News 12 anchors from each region – Scott Feldman on Long Island, Tom Appleby in Connecticut, Bryan Jenkins in New Jersey, Heather McBride in The Bronx and Brooklyn and Brian Conybeare in Westchester/Hudson Valley.
More information, including standings, statistics and short contestant bios, is available at www.powertolearn.com as the tournament progresses.
