The Sharon Academy Grinds
Its Way to the Top at TASC
By Charlie McMeekin

The job was to create a machine which generated enough electricity to turn on a small light show and power a device to change 400 grams of corn to 200 grams of corn meal.

The site was the annual TASC competition held in Gutterson Field House at UVM. And this year, the grand champion was the team from The Sharon Academy known as "Pops and the Unpops." The name is a moniker the team’s coach threatened to use if the students couldn’t come up with anything more creative. However, the students liked the name, and it stuck.

The "Pops" in the title refers to team mentor Jim Wick, a TSA board member and volunteer teacher who has fathered seven state championship teams. The "unpops" are Blaine Conner, Bekah Woodin, Will Seymour, Cody Dyer, Galen Riddle, and Zevi Rubin-Crump.

Not only did the students garner the grand prize, they also walked away with the Wal-Mart Award for the lowest cost device, and took second place for their project portfolio.

"This is an event I try to never miss," says head of school Michael Livingston. "I love looking at all of the different approaches students take when problem solving, but I confess I was probably the first to jump to my feet when TSA was announced as the champion. And what a treasure we have in Jim Wick. It’s worth the trip just to see the pride in his eyes as he watches our students compete."

For their efforts, the students received three plaques, a laptop computer for the school, a check for $1,750 (also for the school), and a variety of stuffed animals to take home.

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