Youth News for July 13, 2012

School’s solar car ready for challenge

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON - Ian Guedry, a personal trainer who volunteers as a bicycle repairman fixing rides for the homeless and carless, looks for a hole as he and other volunteers repair bicycles on a parking lot at Florida Boulevard and 17th Street.

Sun Dog Racer, the Baton Rouge Magnet High School solar car built and designed by students, departs Saturday for the 2012 Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

The team members have spent 12 months preparing for the 12 hours of engineering scrutiny and 31/2 days of racing.

The 2012 team, led by student Captain Alidia Findley, includes student members Tony Licata, Taylor Mathews, Van Lee, Sean Stuart, Brandon Augusts and solar car drivers Murphy Johnson, Leslie Morgan and Rick Hochenedel.

Teacher/team adviser Peter Oelschlaeger said this year’s solar car has hi-tech Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries designed for the Baton Rouge High team by LithiumPros.

The batteries provide 5,000 watts of power in four lightweight units to reduce the car’s weight by more than 200 pounds from last year’s version, bolstering hopes for breaking last year’s team record of 225 miles completed. There are 31 teams hailing from 23 states and Puerto Rico. The Baton Rouge Magnet High School team is the only one from Louisiana, according to Sonya T. Gordon, public information officer for the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.

Merit scholarships awarded

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced on Monday that several more Baton Rouge and Lafayette area students have won National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The corporation announced other scholarship winners earlier in the summer.

The recipients with their high schools and scholarships include: Michael A. Baker, Parkview Baptist School, LSU Scholarship; Aaron J. Bennett, University Laboratory School, LSU Scholarship; Jacob D. Bowers, Catholic High School, Tulane Scholarship; Abigail E. Burcham, Episcopal High School, LSU Scholarship; Morgan E. Clement, St. Joseph’s Academy, University of Oklahoma Scholarship; Warner J. Delaune III, Catholic High, LSU Scholarship; Joshua D. Edwards, Catholic High, LSU Scholarship.

Also, Daniel J. Gates, Catholic High, LSU Scholarship; Samuel L. Justice Catholic High, LSU Scholarship; William Lee Kemp, Episcopal High, LSU Scholarship; Rachel M. Marsh, St. Joseph’s Academy, Tulane University Scholarship; Jasmine Miller, Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Boston University Scholarship; Kristina L. Sherburne, St. Joseph’s Academy, LSU Scholarship; Yihui Yan, Baton Rouge Magnet High, LSU Scholarship; David Zhang, Baton Rouge Magnet High, Rice University Scholarship; Luke Timothy Osborn, St. Thomas More Catholic High School, LSU Scholarship; and Allison N. Gerard, Carencro High School, Bowdoin College Scholarship.

Eat pizza, help Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts Louisiana East and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants are offering Scouting for Supper from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at locations in southeast Louisiana.

When customers mention Girl Scouts when making their purchase, Chuck E. Cheese will donate 15 percent of all food, merchandise, and token sales to the council to support its Girl Scout program.

Also, an online flier at http://www.gsle.org or at council offices in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, is good for 10 free tokens.

Participating restaurants are located at 7680 Andrea Drive, Baton Rouge; 69252 La. 21, Covington; 1755 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houma; 7000 Veterans Blvd., Metairie; 3701 General DeGaulle, Algiers; and 124 North Shore Blvd., Slidell.

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