Two Southland High School Teams Leave for Prestigious U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in D.C.; North Hollywood High School Seeks Second National Title

Business Wire, April 28, 2004

News Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2004

LADWP Regional Championship Teams Have Won Four National Titles

and Placed in the "Final Four" Seven Times since 1995,

an Unsurpassed Record

Following the success of El Camino Real High School at the national academic decathlon competition, the North Hollywood High School five-member science bowl team hopes to bring Los Angeles a second national title in as many weeks. Previous North Hollywood teams won a national title and placed in the "Final Four" three times. North Hollywood has won the LADWP Science Bowl regional competition for seven consecutive years.

Santa Monica High School, that won this year's regional championship at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also leaves this week for the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in the Washington, D.C. area. North Hollywood and Santa Monica will be among nine teams representing California in a 64-team field from 40 states. Other areas that held regional competitions in the state included Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Bakersfield, Modesto and Redding.

The teams will participate at the event April 29 to May 3. Actual competition is held May 2 and 3 at the National 4H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The winners will be announced about 9 a.m. Pacific Time, Monday, May 3.

Last year the North Hollywood team placed 12th at the national event. However, LADWP regional championship teams have the best record at the National Science Bowl compared to any other area of the nation. In addition to the 2001 championship that North Hollywood won, previous national title holders include Van Nuys High School in 1995 and Venice High School in 1996 and 1997. Also, LADWP regional championship teams placed in the "Final Four" every year between 1995 and 2001.

The National Science Bowl is based on the old GE College Bowl television quiz show in which two teams of four students with alternates respond rapidly to mind-bending "toss-up" questions presented by a moderator. Teams that answer toss-up questions correctly have the exclusive right to answer bonus questions. Questions cover a broad array for science, math and technology subjects including physics, chemistry, earth and space science, biology, computer programming and current events in science.

The goals of Science Bowl are to showcase the success of talented high school scholars and to promote interest in the study of and careers in math, science and technology among students of all backgrounds.

(NOTE TO THE MEDIA: North Hollywood High School will return to Los Angeles Monday evening, May 3 at 8:17 p.m. at LAX on United Airlines Flight 947.)