Seattle Times Super Kid -- Standing Tall -- High Schooler Works At Being A Postive Force In His Community

Solomon Georgio is a 10th-grade honor student at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. He excels in all subjects, from math and science to literature and drama.

He says the key to his success is, "I never give up. I've been pushed down a lot in life, but I always get up."

At 6 feet 3, Georgio, 15, has always been taller than most of his classmates. He was also very thin, and some kids at his former home in Fresno, Calif., teased him about that.

"I cried a lot in grade school," said Georgio. "When I hit middle school, I realized I was being childish and I knew I had to take a stand." His confidence grew when he won first place in the school district's Math-O-Rama, before moving to Seattle.

Georgio has a burning desire to help other kids find nonviolent solutions to problems concerning youth, education and politics.

Last year a school security guard recommended that he apply to the Peace Academy, an anti-violence program held each year at Seattle Center to help teens create peace in their schools and communities.

"At the Peace Academy I learned that dreams can come true, you just need to give them ways to come out," he said.

Georgio is starting a program at school that combines peacemaking efforts with his love for drama and play writing. The program will allow students to act out scenes from plays while being videotaped. If all goes according to his plan, the videotapes will be aired every two weeks on closed-circuit television at the school.

"This program gives students who dream of being on television a chance to do it," he said. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Did you hear the one? Q. What do baby vampires call their parents? A. Mummy and Batty.

Rookie Cook: Creepy Mud Pie

What you'll need: 2 packages (3 ounces each) chocolate-flavored instant pudding 3 1/2 cups cold milk 3 cups nondairy whipped topping (like Cool Whip, 12-ounce size), unfrozen 1 package (16-ounce size) Oreo-type cookies, crushed 1 1/2 cups gummy worms Wire whisk Mixing bowl 9-by-13-inch baking pan

What to do: 1. Pour pudding mix and cold milk into mixing bowl and beat with wire whisk for 3 minutes or until smooth. 2. Stir in whipped topping. 3. Stir in half of the cookie crumbs and half of the gummy worms. 4. Spoon mixture into baking pan. 5. Sprinkle the top with remaining cookie crumbs. 6. Put in refrigerator for one hour or longer. 7. Before serving, put the remaining worms on top so they look as though they are crawling out of the dessert. Makes 15 servings.

Halloween Secret Message: Cross out all of the following letters to find the message hidden in the puzzle: G J L M P V Z Answer: Check your trick or treat candy before you eat it.