Reseda Orators Make Point

Never at a loss for words, Cleveland High School’s forensic team talked, debated and acted their way into the first-place Sweepstakes Award at the recent 1999 Arizona State University Southwest Championships. The top-ranked orators from Reseda came home with 34 trophies, including the Grand Sweepstakes, besting their closest competitors by more than 100 points.

Facing about 1,000 students from 11 western states, six of Cleveland’s 23 participants advanced to the finals, where seven students took first-place prizes: David Ross and Leslie-Anne Huff, duo interpretation; Amy Siegman, prose; Archana Sridhar, tied for first in original oratory; Jennifer Lottman, expository; Leslie-Anne Huff, poetry, and Sarah Garber, Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

“The tournament was a real self-esteem booster,” said Zach Sharrin, 16, who placed sixth in the prose competition and fourth in duo interpretation. “No matter how we did personally, we still got to cheer on everybody else. We got very close; It’s a good feeling for everybody.”

PROGRAM NOTES

Regarding Refuse: Fifteen advanced placement environment science seniors from John F. Kennedy High School visited the Lopez Canyon landfill near Sylmar recently to learn firsthand about the environmental and political impact of refuse disposal. The Granada Hills students toured the 167-acre site, which was built in 1975 and stopped taking trash in 1996, then attended lectures on the technology and public relations aspects of landfill management. They also checked out the heavy equipment used to maintain the site.

Positive Message: Seeking to educate the public on issues such as drinking and driving, child abuse and gun control, Viewpoint School’s film students are producing and distributing a series of public service announcements that will run on Falcon Cable’s public access station beginning this spring.

Under the supervision of film teacher Catherine Dunn, senior Asi Lang and juniors Aaron Case, Adam Hendricks, Jeff Hood, Chris McKenna, Heather Montgomery and Carl Slomovitz are spending their Saturdays on the Calabasas campus filming and editing the TV spots, using equipment donated by a Viewpoint parent.

“The kids are getting myriad wonderful things out of this,” Dunn said. “They learn how to use 16-millimeter film equipment, and most importantly, they’re giving back to their community--an activity that’s emphasized at this school. They’re tackling issues that are important to them personally, not just academically.”

Appointment: Hazel Ramos has been named Glendale Community College’s new school relations/outreach coordinator. The former GCC Associated Students president will be in charge of recruiting students from local schools and serve as a liaison between school district personnel and the community college. Ramos, 27, a Glendale resident, was named GCC Woman of the Year in 1996, the same year she introduced President Clinton before his address at the community college.

EVENT

All’s Fair: Valley Presbyterian School invites the public to attend its annual science fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday on the North Hills campus. The fifth- and sixth-graders, for instance, will exhibit projects that explore which materials best conduct heat, which materials absorb sound and how smoking affects lung capacity. Some younger students will also have projects on display.

*

Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to diane.wedner@latimes.com