OCAY League Teams Compete in a Salsa Showdown

Students from all nine Oswego County School Districts gathered at Holy Trinity Church in Fulton for the fourth and final Oswego County Academic Youth (OCAY) League event of the academic year. Aptly named “Culinary Clash,” this event celebrated culinary arts, pop culture, design and marketing.

Ten high-school students from each district were chosen by their advisors for their excellence in nutrition, math, biology, health, art, language arts/linguistics, public speaking, global history, creativity and culinary arts.

Teams put their skills to the test as they participated in a series of quizzes, crafted pop-culture portraits using only food items, and created the “perfect salsa” complete with a label and branding for a “Shark Tank” style presentation.

The homemade salsa was taste-tested and judged by Alan Baker and Bill Bullock of the City of Fulton Fire Department. The branding and presentations were judged by Barb Sheldon, a former art teacher at Mexico High School; Jane Backus, a retired English teacher from Mexico; and Whitney Mirabito, owner of Sav-A-Lot grocery store in Fulton.

The judges had a tough decision to make after watching teams showcase their acting, singing, dancing, comedy and persuasion skills to sell their salsa. With combined scores from every challenge, Team Phoenix emerged victorious. The winning team members were Madalyn Carter, Kai Clary, Gabriella Dates, Sophie Delahunt, Conner Klock, Emily LaPine, Taya Marasco, Margo Pritting, Berkleigh Stout and Luke Zellar.

Burill Wells, advisor for Team Phoenix, was thrilled that his team secured first place in the final competition of the year. "Working with the incredible students on the OCAY Team in Phoenix has been a true joy," he said. "They inspire me and fill me with hope for the future!"

The team from Mexico finished in second place with Sandy Creek close behind in third place.

OCAY League was founded in 1997 on the premise of academic excellence through the competition of schools in Oswego County. Teams are made up of eight to ten members and compete in several events throughout the school year.