GCHS Squares Off Against East Rockaway High School

Accepting the Challenge: The academic team from Garden City High School competes against East Rockaway High School in round one of The Challenge airing February 24th & 25th at 6:30 and 9:30 pm exclusively on Cablevision's News 12 Long Island. Pictured on the set during a break in taping at SUNY College at Old Westbury are Garden City team members: Doug Sheer - Advisor; Richard Gustavson; Andrew Butler - Captain; Dan Ohngemach; Scott Feldman - Host; Olivia Lucas; Christopher Ciaffa - Alternate

Garden City High School will kick off the tenth anniversary year of The Challenge by taking on East Rockaway High School in round one of the academic quiz show designed to tests students' knowledge in a Jeopardy-style format. This first round match-up between Garden City and East Rockaway will air exclusively on News 12 Long Island at 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm on Saturday, February 24, 2007 with an encore airing the very next night Sunday, February 25th at 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm.

"We are teaching students across the tri-state that being smart is radically cool. By showcasing these bright students each week, we are underscoring Cablevision's commitment to education. We are pleased to give students, faculty members, parents and siblings the opportunity to cheer for their favorite team for the tenth year in a row on The Challenge," said Trent Anderson, Cablevision's Vice President of Education.

The academic quiz show challenges the four-member teams, and one alternate, with increasingly difficult questions during the half-hour competition. The show is divided into three rounds that include multiple-choice questions, a lightning round, where teams try to answer 10 questions in 60 seconds, and a final round where teams can answer questions freely, but risk losing 10 points for incorrect answers.

Continuing each week through June the show shines the spotlight on the students' academic skills as they compete in categories that will test their knowledge of history, science, math, arts and literature and pop culture, for their school's share of $22,500 in prizes.

Representing Garden City will be team members: Julia Romano - Captain, Jared Dorman, Karen Yorio, Jason C. Schaeffer and alternate Samantha Buzzolani. The team's academic advisor(s) is Mary Orzano.

The Long Island tournament will conclude after a series of elimination rounds with a televised showdown between the best team from Suffolk County and the best team from Nassau County-followed by the first of its kind tri-state Challenge Championship among the champions from Connecticut, New Jersey and Long Island during spring 2007. The one remaining high school team will be crowned the Challenge Champion.