By Tim Brennan

Knowledge Bowl and One Act Play Adviser

The calendar year is closing fast, but the Pacelli calendar marches on into the new year with a couple of exciting extra-curricular student led activities.

Pacelli’s Knowledge Bowl academic team is off to a strong start in 2017-18, having already competed in two Southeast Conference meets with Spring Grove, Mabel-Canton and Houston. Schools bring multiple teams (totaling nine) and compete in rooms of three teams (four students per team) in four, fast-paced, 45-question oral rounds. Each Knowledge Bowl date starts with a  60-question written team test (taken by five students from each team).

Pacelli earned a third place and a second place in the first two of four Southeast Conference meets (held respectively at Spring Grove and Houston). Pacelli will host a conference meet on Jan.  10, and the year will wrap up with a February meet in Mabel-Canton.

This year, Pacelli has two participating teams made up of the following students: Shane DeSilva, Asai Lopez, Shenali DeSilva, Rachel Nelsen, Patrick Murphy, Sonia Ramirez Whitney Walkup, Abigail Bollingberg, Kayla Christopherson, Johnny Nguyen and Alondra Vega.

Later in March, Pacelli will participate in the Southeast Service (Educational) Cooperative  Knowledge Bowl Sub-regionals in Rochester. As many as 60 schools from across the region participate in A and AA division competition for the right to advance to the state finals held in Brainerd.

Also happening in January will be Pacelli’s entry into the Minnesota State High School League’s One-Act Play competition. Pacelli is part of Sub-section 2 and will compete against as many as six or seven other schools at Rochester Lourdes for the right to advance to section finals in Winona the first part of February.

This year’s play “Coffee W/God” includes a student actor cast of Mason Holtorf, Pal Koak, Daisy Hernandez and Patrick Murphy. Sonia Ramirez will act as set crew and handle the lights and music effects for the production.

If you are interested in learning more about Pacelli Catholic Schools visit our website at www.pacellischools.org, email admin@pacellischools.org or call 507-437-3278.

Tim Brennan is the Knowledge Bowl and One Act Play adviser for Pacelli Catholic Schools. He can be reached at tbrennan@pacellischools.org