After demonstrating they have more school spirit than the average American teens, a group of Farrell High school girls won the prize of a lifetime: a chance to spend the day with pop vocal group B2K.

Winning the grand prize entry in Jostens' "Rock the Halls" Contest, co-sponsored by Teen People, came as a shock to 17-year-old Patricia West, a junior, who has opened in concert for B2K in Pittsburgh before. But Patricia wasn't as interested in winning for herself as she was for her other five friends, who haven't had the chance to meet the band, she said.

Patricia and the other girls -- Takeshia Richardson, 17, Tayonia Riley, 18, Tenishia Major, 15, Sonya Tubbs, 15, and LaShawntere Brown, 17 -- said they are all excited they won after working hard on a song, video and dance routine.

Patricia found out about the contest after searching online for B2K. The contest specified that to enter, a group of five had to write a song about school spirit based on either a B2K song or Jhene, a cousin of B2K member Lil Fizz, who released her first CD in February.

B2K also includes Omarion, 18; J Boog, 17; Raz B, 17; and Lil Fizz, 17. The group has been nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards and won BET's coveted Viewer's Choice award.

In addition, they were voted "Best Group" by the editors of Vibe magazine as part of their annual "Vibe of the Year Awards," and received a Billboard Music Award for having the "biggest selling R&B single of the year."

The six Farrell High School girls, who call themselves "G2K3," chose to remake B2K's number one hit "Uh Huh," working before, during and after school writing lyrics. They learned dance steps from B2K's video and practiced everyday to get it down pat.

After they had the song and the moves, they asked high school principal Charles Sanitate to make a video in the school gymnasium with all students wearing the blue and gold school colors in support. He agreed. Steven Cypis, industrial arts teacher, helped to edit the video afterward and the girls went to Mud Hut Studios in Sharon to make the song.

"We paid for it ourselves and did everything by ourselves," Takeshia said.

The girls were hoping for the original grand prize, a choice between having B2K or Jhene perform live at their school. Waiting two months to see who won the contest was the unbearable part, the girls said.

"Everybody kept asking if we'd heard anything. Then they called Patricia," Takeshia said.

Patricia's mother, April West, was the one who received the call at home and later told her daughter there was good news and bad news. Because B2K is filming a movie in Los Angeles, they weren't going to be able to perform in Farrell, Ms. West said. However, Jostens and Teen People wanted to fly the girls out to the movie set in June to meet and have lunch with the band on the set.

"My mother said, 'The bad news is, B2K isn't coming to your school. The good news is you won and you're going to L.A," Patricia said. "I called Takeshia and she started crying on the phone."

Tenishia said working with the girls in the studio was a new experience. She has always wanted to meet B2K and saw them once in concert.

"(The contest) brought us closer together," she said.

Tayonia, a senior, said she wasn't a big B2K fan before, but she is now, adding that she has never met anyone famous and is "very very excited."

Sonja, a freshman and a huge B2K fan, said the girls feel it's a great opportunity because they all in some way hope to get into the entertainment business.

"We're all talented in some way, whether it's singing, writing, rapping -- and we all want to meet B2K," Sonja said.

Lashawntere said they worked hard and are happy they won. "We really wanted this," she said.

The girls, who fly out the day after graduation, thanked the students who rallied behind them and showed support for the making of the video. Their mothers said they were proud.

"I'm excited for them. They really worked hard for it," said Annetta Savage, Tenishia's mother.

In addition to the trip to meet B2K, the girls will receive a full-page ad in Teen People featuring photographs from their trip, $100 Sam Goody gift card, a Jansport backpack, an autographed signing session at the Jhene concert, a private meet and greet with Jhene and the opportunity to perform as the opening act for the show.

Farrell High School will receive a $1,000 donation, $500 in faculty recognition, a one-year enrollment in Teacher and Student of the Year programs from Jostens and additional autographed B2K paraphernalia for Farrell High School students.

The date of the Jhene concert will be announced later this month.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Larissa Theodore at ltheodore@sharonherald.com

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