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By SCOTT GOMB Times Leader Community Reporter
Tuesday, January 25, 2000 Page: 2A
PRINGLE – The West Side Area Joint Operating Committee said at Monday’s
meeting it plans to protest the results of the Skills USA-VICA District 1
competition.
The competition was held at Hazleton Area High School on Jan. 20. Ten
schools including West Side Area Vocational-Technical School were scheduled to
compete. Because of bad weather, five schools canceled classes and officials
at West Side Area did not allow its students to travel to Hazleton.
Students studying various trades compete in daylong skills competitions.
Students who win advance to state finals. State winners advance to a national
competition.
West Side Area Skills USA-VICA adviser Joe Orban said 116 students in
District 1 missed the competition. About 155 students from the other schools
did participate. West Side Area planned to send 25 students, he said.
Orban said Hazleton should have postponed the competition until Jan. 21,
the scheduled snow date, since Hazleton held an in-service day on Jan. 20 and
school was closed anyway. Three schools surrounding Hazleton Area canceled
classes on Jan. 20 because of the weather, he said.
“It’s just not fair,” Orban said. “The variables were in place to
overcome that type of situation.”
Committee President Joe Federici applauded West Side Principal Elizabeth
Ellis for not allowing students to travel to the competition and received
unanimous support from committee members to send a letter to Hazleton Area
asking that competition results be thrown out, or a second competition be held
for students who did not attend.
Orban said West Side students who are seniors will not have the opportunity
to participate in the competition again.
Orban said he has contacted Democratic State Rep. Phyllis Mundy,
D-Kingston, about the situation and said she also plans to send a letter to
Hazleton Area about the competition.
“We’re all here for the kids,” Orban said. “Now’s the time to show it.”