Colleagues,
An interesting piece from Westfield Technical Academy, for the first time in the school’s history competed in "As Schools Match Wits"!
David
Westfield Technical Academy’s first ASMW team competition airs Saturday
Published: Jan. 17, 2025,
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Westfield Technical Academy’s "As Schools Match Wits" team has joined the competition for the first time in the school’s history. Pictured from left are advisor Jeanine Deland, Nicholas Platt, Alex Mason, Brady LePage and Gabriella Scottoni. The match against East Longmeadow will air on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. on New England Public Media.
WESTFIELD – Westfield Technical Academy’s first “As Schools Match Wits” (ASMW) team has officially started competition. The segment of their first match against East Longmeadow will air on New England Public Media on Saturday, January 17 at 7 p.m., and will be available online following the airing at https://www.pbs.org/show/as-schools-match-wits/
“As Schools Match Wits” is a local public television program presented by New England Public Media and Westfield State University and is one of the oldest running academic contests in the United States. It is open to all interested public and private schools in the area, and a random drawing is used to line up the contest schedule.
The Tech team has actually been practicing for the show for one year. Last year, they were meeting once a week and during school to compete for the first time ever, when a school dropped out and they were bumped. “Unfortunately, another school had to drop out and since they need even teams, we were cut because we were the last school to be selected,” said English teacher and advisor Jeanine DeLand.
Undaunted, the team stayed together with only DeLand’s daughter Lindsey graduating out. At the time, she said Lindsey would be cheerleading from the sidelines as a communications major at Westfield State University, where the series is filmed.
DeLand said the first match went extremely well. Asked if the students were nervous, she said, “They were a little nervous, but I think I might have been more nervous for them.”
One way the WTA team has already made a splash is with their matching team shirts, designed by junior Gabriella Scottoni from the graphics department. The other contestants are senior Nicholas Platt, auto; sophomore Alex Mason, construction, and senior Brady LePage, internet technology.
DeLand said Beth Ward, ASMW host, remarked on how much she liked their shirts, and another camera operator said he didn’t remember any other school with matching shirts.
DeLand is an ASMW alum herself, having competed at Chicopee High School in 1988, when her father’s cousin was advisor. Her cousin currently leads the team at Pope Francis in Springfield. “It’s definitely a family thing,” she said.
The WTA team was also invited to participate in the Quiz Bowl at Pope Francis on Jan. 17, which she said will be an all-day 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. invitational for area As Schools Match Wits participants.
“It’s really an honor — the first time the school has ever had a team. It’s pretty exciting to do something as a first,” said DeLand.
David J. Ferreira
MAVA Communications Coordinator
DavidFerreira
