Caledonia Argus

LifeSmarts team heading to state

Posted: 2/24/04

By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

Itís tournament time, and not just for athletes.

Two groups of Caledonia High School students have proven that by qualifying for the Minnesota LifeSmarts State Tournament.

LifeSmarts is a consumer education competition that tests knowledge about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities.

The program has a history of recent success at CHS, thanks to advisor Sally Mensink, who has taken a team to the state tournament in each of her first four years at the school. She teaches family and consumer science.

This year another group of kids will compete at the state tournament on March 2 at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. The five students are sophomores Nathalie Besse, Ashley Krukow, and Emily Sheehan; and freshmen Ellen Klug and Brooke Christian. Three other team members who canít go to the state contest are ninth graders Christen Schieber, Katie Jambois, and Katie Schutz. Only five can compete in the tournament: four and one alternate.

They qualified by doing a competition online. They were 27th out of more than 60 teams.

Mensink also found out last weekend that a second group of senior high students had qualified. They are Michael Kruckow, Anne Ellingson, Beth Ellingson, Brooke Eglinton, Danielle Burroughs, and Carrie Meiners. Due to conflicts they cannot attend the state meet.

The double-elimination contest in St. Paul will have three rounds. In the first one, a question-master asks questions of individuals. In round two, the team is asked questions and can discuss them before giving an answer. Round three is timed, with the team with the fastest response on a buzzer getting the chance to answer. In each round, answers must be given within 10 seconds.

Visiting with this reporter about it on February 20, Brooke Christian said she just wants to have fun with the event. She didnít think they would get this far.

Mensink told her that they finished 27th out of 60-some teams.

ìWe were?î Christian said to the laughter of her teammates.

ìIf there were 61 teams competing, I think they did very well,î Mensink said.

Nathalie Besse said that LifeSmarts has some long-range benefits, like helping her figure out a budget for when she goes to college.

And the things learned could help in passing college courses and in a future career, Ellen Klug added.

ìMakes you look better,î Christian said, again to some chuckles.

The Minnesota LifeSmarts State Tournament is sponsored by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Minnesota and North Dakota.

The goal of LifeSmarts is to help teenagers become consumer-savvy adults, BBB president Jane Driggs said in a February 16 press release.

ìThe real world is full of consumer pitfalls, tough decisions to make about health care, and complex laws about workplace protection. LifeSmarts helps teens become adults who can deal with lifeís challenges successfully -- without learning these lessons the hard way,î she said.

Sample questions

Here are some sample Life-Smarts questions:

1. One good criterion for selecting a competent auto repair shop is: A. lowest prices; B. certified technicians; or C. hours of operation.

2. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests that teens and adults eat how many servings from the Vegetable Group each day? A. two to four; B. three to five; or C. six to eleven.

3. You've been job hunting and have prepared a resume. The item least likely to be included on a resume is: A. volunteer work; B. school club activities; C. specific references.

4. Your car steers to the right when you apply the brakes. This could be caused by: A. an underinflated right front tire; B. low brake fluid; C. an unbalanced steering cable.

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