subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Tue, Dec 02 2008 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
email this story   E-mail this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Globe/Curtis Almeter Jacob Jones, a Carthage High School student, demonstrates an award-winning computer game he helped create. The classic arcade-style game teaches kids how to avoid dangerous pitfalls on the Internet.

Published July 20, 2008 09:28 pm - CARTHAGE, Mo. — Three Carthage Technical Center students’ love for video games helped them beat out all but one other team during the national SkillsUSA championship in June in Kansas City.
Incoming senior Jacob Jones, and recent graduates Mario Martinez and Curtis Westbay took home silver medals in the Information Technology division of the competition.


Video game earns Carthage team national silver medal



By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Three Carthage Technical Center students’ love for video games helped them beat out all but one other team during the national SkillsUSA championship in June in Kansas City.

Incoming senior Jacob Jones, and recent graduates Mario Martinez and Curtis Westbay took home silver medals in the Information Technology division of the competition.

The three high-school students developed their own video game that teaches other students how to stay safe while on the Internet. The classic arcade-style game incorporates questions relating to Internet usage and includes a safety quiz that has to be passed with 100 percent success before the participant can play the game.

Renee Riley, information technology teacher at the Carthage Technical Center, said judges and other championship attendees were impressed with the program, and there have been offers to publish the game since then.

During the national competition, Jones, Martinez and Westbay had to set up a trade-show-style booth to exhibit their video game, demonstrate it to the judges, and hand out information on online safety to parents and other competition participants.

The Carthage Technical Center sent eight contestants to the SkillsUSA national championships this year, as well as one Missouri state officer and five students to serve on the Courtesy Corps and help with a large service project at the end of the competition.

“This is the biggest group we’ve ever taken,” Riley said.

Riley said the three students had never worked together before but became a cohesive team for the competition.

“It was a challenging contest,” she said. “I mean, they got second in competing against the rest of the nation.”

Out of the more than 5,000 students who competed at the SkillsUSA championship, 32 Missouri students won medals for first-, second- and third-place finishes. The Carthage students were the only Joplin-area competitors to earn medals.

Skills USA



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story





monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
TV LIsitngs

Vote Today!

Get Our Free Pod Cast!



Click Here!

32 buy 1 get 1 free offers


Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!
Featured Jobs

ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC
ASE Certified Mechanic. Apply at Russell Tire and Auto, 1501 E. 4th, Joplin. ...>MORE

FULL TIME DENTAL ASSISTANT
Full time dental assistant to float between clinics in Carthage, Neosho, and Anderson. Experience preferred, but will tr...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

1993 CHEVROLET 2 TON TRUCK
1993 Chevrolet, 2 ton truck, steel flat bed, twin dump cylinders, 18’ bed, 5 speed/2 speed rear end, 454 Chevrolet gas, ...>MORE

KIA 2005 SEDONIA
KIA, 2005 Sedonia, 7 passenger, V6, automatic, 70,000 actual miles, super nice. $5500. (417)623-2011...>MORE

BMW 2002 325I
BMW, 2002 325i, silver, black leather, good condition, 34 mpg, $8975
417-825-6118, 627-0242.
...>MORE

NISSAN 2003 X-TERRA XE
NISSAN, 2003 X-Terra XE, V6, 4x4, 70,000 miles, leather, tilt, cruise, CD, tow package, excellent condition, $11,500. 41...>MORE

PONTIAC 2002 GRAND AM GT
Pontiac, 2002 Grand Am GT, Ram Air, V6 automatic, loaded with all options, 50,000 actual miles. $5200. (417)623-2011...>MORE

FORD 2004 ESCAPE XLT
FORD, 2004 Escape XLT, V6, automatic, air, CD, more, 61,000 miles, $9,250. 417-781-2474....>MORE

DODGE 2006 DAKOTA QUAD CAB
DODGE, 2006 Dakota, quad cab, SLT, 8000 actual miles, automatic, loaded with options. $9100. (417)623-2011...>MORE

CHEVROLET 2006 Z71
Chevrolet, 2006 Z71, crew cab, 4x4, 38,000 miles, $17,500. 417-439-4177...>MORE

HONDA 2005 ACCORD EX
4 door, 1 owner, 45,000 miles, dark green, buckskin leather, loaded, excellent condition, $15,900. (417)483-1307....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

NICE 2BR
new central heat/air, newly decorated, gar with opener, $69,000. 330 S. McConnell. (417)623-4058, 850-5695....>MORE

2 BR CARTERVILLE
2 BR, Carterville, $395/$175. 417-673-0303, 850-6154....>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

WILLIAMS CASINO SLOT MACHINE
Williams Casino Slot Machine. 2003, 9 line video, 5¢ INSTANT WINNER pays out 50,000 coins on maximum win pay line, bonus...>MORE

CUSTOM OAK LUMBER
CUSTOM oak lumber, sawing for trailer floors, barns, corrals, etc also cedar lumber. (417)437-4448....>MORE

5 BR, 3 BA, 5 ACRES
5 BR, 3 ba, 5 acres, Webb City schools, finished basement, beautiful home in nice area, 21603 Ivy Road, $1350 month, $75...>MORE

BROYHILL FLORAL SOFA
Broyhill floral sofa, pastel colors, $250; glass top coffee table, 2 end tables, $150/set, maple dining table/4 padded c...>MORE

627 GREY
3 br, 1 ba, central heat/air, washer/dryer hookup, rent $475, $400 deposit. 417-781-2239....>MORE

CONTRACTORS TO BID
CONTRACTORS TO BID, Site utility contractors solicitation for bids - Quapaw, OK area. New pressurized sewer system and n...>MORE

CHRISTMAS PUPS!
CHRISTMAS PUPS! GREAT DANE, AKC registered, shots/wormed. (620)724-8041....>MORE

YORKIE PUP
YORKIE PUP - FEMALE, Female Yorkie pup for sale, $400.
No papers. (417)717-0416, 417-673-1600.
...>MORE

RICK PRATER LOGGING
RICK PRATER LOGGING is buying standing timber. On site scale and payment. Minimum 10-15 acre stands. 30 years experience...>MORE

BLOODHOUND PUPPIES
BLOODHOUND PUPPIES, APRI registered, 2 black and tan males and 1 female, 8 weeks old, no health problems and are good s...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

Find A Home Find A Car