Westside schools:
Math team from West Middle 9th at state

       A team of four West Middle School students took ninth place at the annual statewide MATHCOUNTS competition in Denver.
       They were led by Moriah Yeh, who had an individual placing of 35th.
       The other three team members are Sami King, Olympia Vida, and Audrey Miklitsch.
       The quartet had previously placed third at the Pikes Peak Chapter MATHCOUNTS competition in February. Only the top three Pikes Peak teams were invited to state (21 teams total).
       Including students who were competing individually, 173 students participated in the state event.
       The four West students are part of an extracurricular math club (with 17 members in all) that Hutcherson offers at the school.
      
       Senior Citizens Dance
       After holding its annual dance with senior citizens at the high school for eight years, the Coronado Student Council held it this year at the Westside Community Center.
       The event March 5 was a success, according to Karina Meraz, the Student Council member who organized it with fellow member Elena Lobato. She thanked center director Dick Siever for helping the school to set it up. The students liked the idea because of Coronado being the Westside's high school, Meraz said.
       The dance featured live music by trumpeter Bill Emery's band, with sandwiches and cake. Meraz estimated that some 50 senior citizens, plus 25 students were in attendance.
       Beforehand, council members had handed out flyers at the area Senior Center and nursing homes and were given waltz and swing lessons by a local dance instructor.
       “It was a really good experience,” Meraz said. “It means a lot to them, to see young people show up. They need things to look forward to. We'll all get old someday, so it's a good thing overall.”

Westside Pioneer/press releases