Students Bullish on Computers

If you think the Dow Jones Industrials have skyrocketed, you won’t believe the profits Larry Morden’s computer students racked up during their recent simulated stock-trading experience.

The 25 Pacoima Middle School students, divided into teams of five or six, outperformed many top Wall Street experts when they played “The Stock Market Game,” a 10-week national competition sponsored by the Western District Securities Industry Assn.

The game, designed to introduce young people to Internet research and to teach them computer applications and economics, allowed the students to investigate, track, then “invest” in common stocks listed on the New York, American and Nasdaq exchanges.

One of Morden’s teams posted a final gain of $44,944, earning the students the first-place title in the Southern California region’s junior division. The young investors received medals and certificates at an awards ceremony at the Pacific Stock Exchange downtown.

“The kids got a very good idea of what the stock market is all about, and they learned how to make sound decisions about investments,” Morden said. “They also learned to work well as a team.”

PROGRAM NOTES

Science Fair: Have you ever wondered whether mice prefer milk, apple juice or water? (They prefer apple juice). Or pondered which part of the body--the face, hands or feet--have the most bacteria? (The hands do). These questions and dozens of others were answered recently at Nestle Avenue Elementary School’s science fair.

Using the scientific method of testing hypotheses, the Tarzana first- through fifth-graders investigated a number of phenomena then mounted the project results on three-sided boards. The winning projects were displayed Tuesday at a school open house.

KUDOS

Arts Awards: Three Louisville High School students have been named winners in the state-sponsored California Arts Scholars competition. Freshman Haley Norman, a theater arts student, sophomore Amy Otsuka, a visual artist, and junior Eleni Karas,who won in the singing and creative writing categories, were selected from hundreds of applicants to attend the prestigious arts program at CalArts in Valencia this summer. Each of the winners received scholarships for the monthlong program.

Local Scholar: San Fernando High School sophomore Luis Ochoa is among 20 Los Angeles-area students recently chosen to participate in UC Berkeley’s Incentive Awards program this summer. The honors student, who attends the Multilingual Teacher Career Academy at his high school, will attend a six-week academic and leadership program in Berkeley and will receive a $28,000 scholarship to the university after completing the three-year Incentive Awards program.

END NOTES

Nobel Middle School in Northridge invites the public to a June 3 meeting about its new School for Advanced Studies, a gifted-students program. The 7 p.m. meeting will be held in the school library. . . . Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) will deliver the keynote address at Antelope Valley College’s commencement ceremonies Saturday at 9 a.m. in Marauder Stadium. . . . The Country School will hold an alumni reunion for students who attended the North Hollywood school since it opened in 1948. The event will be held on campus June 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. For information, call (818) 752-2712.