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Five CNY students headed to ACT-SO Nationals in July

Five Central New York students have won a local competition that qualifies them to compete in the national Afro-Academic Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics in Orlando, Fla. in July.

The students are:

Vocal: Kierrah Titus, Cicero-North Syracuse High School

Painting: Cameron Buck, Jamesville-DeWitt High School

Drawing: Chidera Joseph, Jamesville-Dewitt High School

Dramatics: Nadia Ingram, Corcoran High School.

Dance: Tevin Johnson, Manlius Pebble Hill School

They were among more than 60 African American and Latino students who competed in March at a local ACT-SO competition held at the Syracuse Academy of Science School.

Students competed in a variety of categories – poetry, dance, drama, music instrumental, music vocal, chemistry/biochemistry, mathematics, medicine and health, drawing, painting, photography and filmmaking/video.

ACT-SO is a program of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Locally, it is sponsored by the Syracuse/Onondaga County NAACP.
Organizers are holding fund-raisers to help pay for the trip.

A garage sale will be held from 9 a.m. to noon May 4 at the Southwest Community Center. All proceeds will help pay for the trip. Organizers are looking for donations including appliances, gently used clothing, children’s clothes, toys and other items. Items can be dropped off at the center from 5 to 7 p.m. May 3. For information, contact Gwen Fagan at 315-314-6824.

A bottle drive will be held at a later date.

Donations can also be made by check made out to NAACP ACT-SO mailed to Gwendolyn Fagan, PO Box 86, Syracuse, N.Y. 13205.

Here are the other winners from the March competition:

  • Mathematics: Honorable mention, Cameron Buck

  • Filmmaking/Video: Honorable mention, Toria Carter

  • Original Essay: Honorable mention, Cydney Goodrum

  • Vocal: Honorable mention, Justin Tanksley

  • Drawing: 3rd Place, Cydney Goodrum

  • Music Instrumental: 2nd Place, Amaya Campbell; 3rd Place, Caroline Charles and honorable mention, A’Nija Owens.

  • Poetry: 2nd place, Cydney Goodrum, 3rd place. Aconda Williams and honorable mention, Justin Allen Tanksley

  • Dance: 2nd Place, Jasmine Eatman