Leonardtown High School

“A+B = B+A is an example of this property.”  This was just one of many questions selected students from Great Mills, Chopticon, and Leonardtown high schools had to answer during the 2007 “Top Dawg” Academic Challenge held at the James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center. 

In a Jeopardy style game show setting, students from all three public high schools in St. Mary’s gathered to compete for “Top Dawg.” Students were selected by their respective schools to compete in the competition. 

Acting game show host, Ken Smith threw a total of 120 questions over two rounds of the competition, in which students could choose from the categories of Math, Science, Technology, The Arts, History and Pop Culture 1960-2006.

“They represented their school in fine fashion,” Smith said of the competing students. However, after two tough rounds of questions, Great Mills High School was clearly Top Dawg, scoring 10,200 points and taking back to their home school one very large trophy to acknowledge their accomplishment.  Following Great Mills was Chopticon with 7,700 points and Leonardtown with 5,550 points.

Thomas Connor, one of Great Mills’ team members at the competition held the trophy high as he and the rest of the team were congratulated by Principle Taylor.  “We practiced a lot for this and all of our hard work paid off,” Connor told The Bay Net. 

 
 Great Mills High School

“It was great to have all of our friends supporting us.”  

All of the teams competed very well according to those leading the event.  “We were in awe of the kid’s performance,” said Smith.     

Admission for the evening was $4 and all proceeds went the SkillsUSA program, which the tech center supports, for their students to attend trips around the country that benefit their projected career path. 

The “Top Dawg” event is just one of many fundraisers tech center principle, Robert Taylor has come up with to raise money.  “These events are designed to support the kids,” said Ken Smith.  “We put on our thinking caps on how to raise money for the kids.”  The administration at the tech center plans to keep the event going each year.