The
CARDIGAN CHRONICLE Winter 1991
Student "Knowledge Master" Team is First in NH This winter 20 eighth graders took part in an interscholastic contest requiring quick reflexes, stamina, and a fierce competitive spirit. They were part of no athletic team, however. These students captured first place in New Hampshire in the 15th Knowledge Master Open, a cerebral competition involving 3,565 junior high schools from around the world. "I thought they did amazingly well for their first time," said team advisor Mrs. Thurza Small. "We had no idea what we were getting into." The team earned points for both the speed and accuracy with which their answers were entered into the computer. Eighth grader Andy Bay remarked, "There were a few more answers that we should have gotten right, but we did very well. It was a lot of fun." Student teams from as far away as Japan answered 200 questions on topics such as history, English, mathematics, and sports. Each team took part in the contest on its own school grounds by means of specially-programmed compulcr Ji:::,k.;::,.
The Cardigan team placed 95th overall, putting them in th~ top three percent. They ranked 13th among schools with under 200 students. "It was very entertaining," said Phil Jolles, who lent his expertise in the areas of science and culture. "There was a wide field of questions, and we all had
Dates to Remember Grandparents' Weekend April 27-28 Commencement June 1
Noted Geologist Speaks at CMS Chamberlain published in Science Magazine
Eighth grade whiz kids ponder the difficult question before them on the computer screen . The students placed in the top three percent of 3,565 junior high schools around the country.
an equal share in answering them." Results of the contest were compiled by Academic Hallmarks, the Colorado publisher that sponsors the event.
The semi-annual contest will take place again in April. Phil has no doubts abouttheteam'schanceforsuccess: "We are going to defend the title! "
In an effort to tie classroom work in with the latest scientific developments, science teacher Mary Amos invited geologist C. Page Chamberlain of Dartmouth College to talk to the Cardigan student body about the formation of the famous New Hampshire granite. Chamberlain and his colleague Leslie Sonder recently published their controversial findings in Science magazine. According to the theory, the mountains of granite were formed about 400 million years ago by heat coming from radioactive uranium and thorium. The geologist spoke to the school community in NovP.mhP.r
School Adopts Energy
Conservation Measures We don't usually think of electric companies as trying to help save the customer money , but because of an unusual partnership, Cardigan Mountain School will experience exactly that phenomenon. Thanks to Granite State Electric's "Energy Initiative" Program, the school has been able to install all new lighting fixtures that will pay for themselves in under a year. For every watt that is saved by the more energy-efficient lighting, Granite State offers a 65-cent reduction off the cost of the installation. The school saved roughly $50,000 on this basis alone, and the remaining cost of installation will be recovered in less than ten months because of the energy savings. "Cardigan was the perfect candi-
date for the program," said Jay Boucher, president of Defiance Electric, Inc. "It's an older campus with many incandescent bulbs and inefficient fluorescent fixtures." Boucher, whose company has been the contractor for the school since 1979, added that Cardigan is at the end of the electric company's distribution line, so there is a great deal of strain on the system. Thus, the conservation measures benefit both the school and Granite State Electric. The electric company had reached its capacity for producing electricity, according to Boucher. Rather than face the huge expense of building new generators, Granite State adopted the Energy Initiative program along with the Design 2000 plan for new construction. "This was a crisis management program. There was no way they could keep up with the growth that occurred in the 1980's," he added. There are additional benefits of the new lighting fixtures that go beyond conservation. The old fluorescent "cool white" bulbs that were located in most of the classrooms and offices can produce glare and eye strain. "The new bulbs give off a warmer light that is easier on your eye and makes things look more natural," Boucher said.
Student Recycling Club Pitches In
PARENTS' WEEKEND- Parents congregate at the Auction table at the registration for the February 1-3 Parents'Weekend. The 1991 Cardigan Parents' Auction raised over $12,000 for the school. (see Parents' News , p. 4)
Every Thursday afternoon, students of a conservationist bent are also doing their part to conserve energy at Cardigan. Senior David Marchand, eighth grader Michael Colligan and seventh grader Elliot Rooks join with
see ENERGY p. 2
about the theory of plate tectonics, a subject which had been introduced in all the science classes prior to his visit. Ninth grader David Rosen studied earthqu·akes and plate movements in his earth science class, so he was familiar with Dr. Chamberlain's reference to the New Madrid fault and the earthquake predictions in the news last year. David said of the presentation, "It was interesting because . we knew what he was talking about, having studied it ahead of time." Chamberlain also presented a slide show of his travels that had led to the evolution of the new theory about the New Hampshire granite. Testing the hypothesis involved visits to Pakistan and the Himalayas, a mountain range still in the process of being formed. After the presentation, the geologist answered questions that students had submitted during class.
INSIDE: page
Parents' Auction
4
Winter Sports Report
5
Alumni Spotlight: F. Lee Bailey
7
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