CAN YOU name the African-American brigadier general who was appointed commandant of the cadets at West Point in 1987, becoming the first black to head the school?
Pupils at Longfellow Elementary School know the answer: Fred A. Gordon.
Longfellow Elementary sent three teams of schoolchildren to the Black Saga Competition on March 18 at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Teams were selected last month during a Black Saga competition held at the elementary school.
Charles M. Christian, author of "Black Saga: The African American Experience" and creator of the contest, was host of the event at Longfellow.
Pupils answered questions about the African-American experience in the United States from the 1500s to this year.
Assistant Principal Pamela Felton-Cullings coordinated the school's program. Since January, the teams of fourth- and fifth-graders have worked with staff members Priscilla Andachter, Pamela Coates and Jane Collins to prepare for the contest.
Although the Longfellow pupils did not win in the statewide competition at College Park, they scored well and received certificates of participation and copies of Christian's book.
Pupils participating in the contest were: Dion Stone, Shantera Williams, Jasmin Sosa, Brittnay McNair, Cassandra Abrams, Danisha Taymes, Tevin Wood, Nureya Anthony, Sara Fekadu, Derek Gandy, Taj Martinez, Maddie Jones, Marques Pratt, Brittany Terry and R. J. Harris.
Wilde Lake winners
Wilde Lake Middle School pupils have been recognized for their work in literature and science.
Eighth-grader Chris Miller, 13, received an honorable mention in the Southern Maryland International Reading Association Council's statewide writing contest. This is the first time that a Howard County middle school pupil's work has won an award at the state level. His entry, "The Elouve Ordeal of Honor," took first place in the essay division at the county level.
Chris also serves as a student editor for the school literary magazine, "Archives of the Mind."
At the Howard County Mathematics, Science and Technology Fair at Long Reach High School, Wilde Lake Middle School pupils took four awards.
In the Earth and Space Science category, Robbie O'Brien won a ribbon for his research project, "The Effect of Drag Placement on a Model Rocket."
David Calder earned a ribbon for his project on "Fingerprint Clarity" in the engineering and technology division.
