Lab students, teachers, and other members of the community continue to contribute to the life of the Schools and to organizations throughout the city and country. Here is a look at their most recent accomplishments:
Student recognitions
Junior Abigail Newman won first place in the Harper Court Foundation
Story Writing Contest for a piece she wrote for an elective course in story
writing.
Eighth-grader Hannah Shaw was one of ten sixth- to eighth-grade Illinois winners in the Manningham Poetry Trust Awards Contest of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies.
Senior Hannah Garber-Paul received a $1,000 scholarship from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network at its Sixth Annual Presentation of Youth Scholarships and Awards. The event honored teenagers who "demonstrated outstanding commitment to ending bias against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transsexuals in local schools."
The following are the new and returning Peer Leaders for the 2001-2002 school year: Maud Baggetto, Nikita Barai, Emma Barber, Jessica Bauer, Elliot Epstein, Jules Federle, Benjamin Fisher, Lisa Jacobson, Tess Lantos, Sam Larson, Spencer Lazar, Zachary Levin, Becky Levine, Michael McGehee, Rachel Orlikoff, Emily Palmer, Mara Ravitz, Kristin Reepmeyer, Brian Rizowy, Nicky Singh, Claire Stewart, Ethan Stillman, Zachary Turnbull, and Lydell Ware.
Freshmen Laura Oxtoby and Noor Shawaf and junior Claire Stewart were elected to serve on the discipline board for the remainder of the school year. Those with expiring terms on the board are seniors Jo Budzilowicz, Hannah Lantos, and Tiffany Northrop.
U-High students have elected the following students to the 2001-2002 Student Council: Executive Committee: President, Chris Amos; Vice President, Sam Firke; Treasurer, Caitlin Geary; Secretary, Claire Stewart; Cultural Union President, Shelly Carr; Cultural Union Treasurer, Leah McGee; Senior Steering Committee: President, Eitan Kensky; Vice President, Josh Joseph; Cultural Union Representatives, Steve Akuamoah and Missey Corey; Junior Steering Committee: President, Alex Chiu;Vice President, Andy Jeninga; Cultural Union Representatives, Zach Levin and Keir Harris; Sophomore Steering Committee: President, Alexis Maule; Cultural Union Representatives, Nikki Carr and Stephen Dorsey.
The National Newspaper Association Foundation has chosen a feature story written by senior Michael Lamb as the best sports story to appear in the high school press. Lamb also has won two national awards from the Quill and Scroll Society. Juniors Emma Barber and Natalie Hoy and senior Ameer Saleh were also Quill and Scroll Society award recipients.
The National Scholastic Press Association has named seniors Michael Lamb and Apoorva Chawla to the 2001 Honor Roll of High School Journalists. The award is based on academic excellence and achievements in editing, reporting, writing, and leadership.
Model U.N. continues to find success in its ventures. The U-High team won the delegation award for distinction at the National High School Model U.N. in New York. This award was given to the top three schools at the conference of more than 300 schools. While in New York, the U-High students met with delegates from the Indian Mission.
At the University of Chicago Model United Nations Conference held at the Palmer House Hilton, sixteen of U-High's 32 delegates received special recognition. Verbal Commendations went to senior Sophie Castro-Davis for her work on the Economic and Social Council of Asia and the Pacific and to junior Tim Laumann and sophomore Ethan Stillman for their work on the World Health Organization. Honorable Mentions went to sophomores Nick Epstein and Ryan Werder for their work on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as to senior Brian Weiss and freshman Derin McLeod for their efforts on the United Nations Commission for Refugees. Best Delegate recognitions went to junior James Redfield for the European Union; freshman Jessica Laser and sophomore Shilpa Rupani for the Commission on the Status of Women; and juniors Eitan Kensky and Nicky Singh for the Legal Committee. The delegate heads for the group were James Redfield and seniors Noah Meites and Ricky Townsend.
Middle School students have been competing in a number of mathematics contests. Students with the top six scores in the Illinois Mathematics League Competition were eighth-graders Andrew Beatus, Robert Dellsy, Andrew Hoffman, Jack Miner, Ray Padgett, and Qian Zhang. The top six scores in seventh grade went to James Abbott, Jeffrey Kuan, Samantha Meyer, Francesco Michelassi, Emily Schmidt, and Richard Tsay. Middle School students with top scores in the American Mathematics Competition were James Abbott, Peter Bush, Anthony Carlson, Andrew Hoffman, Jeffrey Kuan, Katharine Lauderdale, Jack Miner, Andrew Sugaya, and Qian Zhang. The members of this year's MATHCOUNTS team were James Abbott, Robert Dellsy, Andrew Hoffman, and Jeffrey Kuan. The team swept all awards in the regional competition.
On April 28, the U-High Math Team placed second at State Final competition. The contest, sponsored by the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics, involved fifteen schools, plus individual qualifiers, chosen through regional competitions among 79 schools statewide. In the Freshman/Sophomore two-person event Rebecca Diamond and Matt Lawlor came in fifth, and in the Junior/Senior two-person event, Kohki Yamaguchi and Alicia Zhou placed first. In the oral competition Yamaguchi placed second. In all, 32 U-Highers contributed to the team's success.
An unusual high point of the day was Kohki Yamaguchi's first place individual score in the senior-level precalculus contest. This makes the fourth year that he has ranked first in the state, a truly rare achievement. Because he came in high in multiple events, he won two copies of the highly valued Mathematica software and he decided to donate one to the Laboratory Schools' math department. "Both his achievement and his generosity typify his performance throughout his years at the school," said teacher Shirley Holbrook.
Students in Susan Lesher's fifth-grade class took part in a one-year birthday party for Sue, the world's most commplete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil skeleton, at the Field Museum. On May 1, they were at the Museum to sing "Happy Birthday," and to meet with the dinosaur's discover, Sue Hendrickson. ABC's Good Morning America and local television stations covered the event.
Foreign language news
Sara Jo Wayne, Middle School foreign language teacher, reported that
eighth-grade Spanish students wrote and performed skits based on their interpretations
of characters from Don Quixote de la Mancha. Wayne's students read excerpts
from a dramatic adaptation of the novel, acted out famous scenes in class, and
performed their own skits in the Gerstley auditorium. Students performed entirely
in Spanish and their skits had Don Quixote visiting the set of The Food Channel's
Iron Chef, going to a rock concert, meeting Dulcinea in a White Castle
restaurant, searching for the Holy Grail, and making the winning home run at
a baseball game. "This is an annual eighth-grade Spanish project that introduces
students to famous Spanish literary characters in an amusing and creative way
and also keeps Don Quixote's spirit alive at Lab," Wayne said.
Spanish teachers Becky Lopez and Rosa Ramos reported that on April 6, fifth-graders celebrated Foreign Language Day. The Spanish students spent the day with their Spanish teachers and several parent volunteers enjoying activities related to Latin American culture. In the morning, students completed a serape that they had designed with ancient Aztec pictures, or glyphs, representing words. The group visited the Meso-American exhibition at the Field Museum and went to lunch in the Little Village neighborhood. Parents who volunteered were Marissa Alcorn, Diane Buckner, Mary Frances Fujibayashi (who made buñuelos that were a big hit), Katherine Keane, Debra Marcus, Anne Miles, Colleen Newquist, Karen Simmons, Jo Ann Ward, Kimberly Weiner, Joel Werth, Jessica Williams, and Mao-Lien Wu.
German Day also was held on April 6, said German teacher Ilse-Sibylle Sonnenberg. "Our parents organized the most wonderful and delicious luncheon for about 150 people," she said. Among the parent volunteers was Greta Wimp, who arranged to involve all other parent volunteers, including Ann Draganich, Christina Nippert-Eng, and Gary Worcester.
German Day speakers and presenters included Leo Waldmeier, who made a Swiss breakfast; professor Jerry Roberts, who played the stock market with the students; Middle School mathematics teacher Hanna Goldschmidt, who taught geometry in German; professor James Bruce, who led in singing; professor Heinrich Jaeger, who spoke about physics; professor Everett Vokes, who discussed his field of medicine; computer teacher Karen Putman, who talked about computers; Richard Bollig, who made birdhouses with the students; and Marianne Zemil, who led students in dancing. "During our musical presentation, music teacher Gary Jensen played the piano for us," Sonnenberg said.
Parents and teachers also provided a variety of enriching opportunities for German exchange students who visited Lab this spring. Middle School history teacher David Harris took the German students to his church for a gospel service on Palm Sunday, and parents Bonnie and Joel Gershkon and Sue Gunty accompanied the students on an architectural tour of Chicago. "Fruman and Marian Jacobson invited all 52 people to a most delicious and fancy luncheon in a board room on the 78th floor of Sears Tower. It was a sunny, glorious, and unforgettable experience!" Sonnenberg said.
Classroom activities
In third-grade science, students are caring for their own insect pets--praying
mantises. Every third-grader has a mantis and a supply of fruit flies that the
mantis eats alive. "The mantis project is part of our study of insects.
We hope to keep at least some of the mantises alive and growing until the end
of school. When school is out, the kids can take the mantises home with them,"
said Gerold Hanck, Lower School science teacher.
Students in Joan Vande Velde's and Pete Miller's U-High physical education classes have participated in Pilates sessions. Parent Shereen Taylor, who is being certified in the Pilates method, has visited twice with two classes to introduce students to this 100-year-old system of strengthening and stretching muscles.
Darlene McCampbell, U-High English teacher, is teaching an elective course titled "Lovers, Madmen, Poets," which includes excerpts from Plato's Symposium, Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, and Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. Several students accompanied McCampbell to a live Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of Chaplin's original score, which was played during a showing of the classic film.
Building community
Parent Craig Becker reports that there were 43 contestants in the Second
Annual Lab 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, held March 31. The event raised nearly
$1,000 for the Mary Williams Student Resource Fund. The winners were: Men: Arne
Duncan, Brian Hanessian, Richard Mott, and John Rogers Jr.; Women:
Karen Duncan, Caroline Flatow, Meghan Janda, and Randi Stern;
Mixed: Karen Duncan, Mark Hornung, and Spike Wilson.
The Community Learning Program thanks parents and students who contributed to their winter clothing drive. More than 200 bags of clothing were distributed to Open Door Orphanage in Kampala, Uganda; Breakthrough Ministries; Midwest Workers' Association; Glass Slipper Project; Reba Place Church for Angola; and La Rabida Children's Hospital.
Teachers out of the class
Darlene McCampbell, U-High English teacher, is leading a seminar at Valparaiso
University as part of that institution's Project on Civic Reflection. The seminar
is part of a series, "Conversations with Youth," which focuses on
Leaving Home, an anthology of stories that McCampbell edited with Hazel Rochman.
A book on French diplomatic history by U-High Principal Jack Knapp will be published this spring by the University of Akron Press. Behind the Diplomatic Curtain: Adolphe de Bourqueney and French Foreign Policy, 1816-1869, examines a leading figure in forging alliances that were central to the development of 19th- and early 20th- century Europe.
Bobbi Nelson represented the mathematics department at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Convention held April 4 through 7 in Orlando, Florida. Nelson concentrated on sessions dealing with technology. "There were hundreds of exhibitors, but the most exciting exhibit was the one featuring Key Curriculums' Geometers Sketchpad," she said. "The mathematics department recently purchased this software and is in the process of integrating it into our curriculum. We hope to have the necessary equipment next year to use the software in grades six through twelve. It's exciting and will definitely enhance our curriculum."
Middle School fine arts teacher John Biser directed The Foreigner at the Village Players, an off-Loop professional theater in Oak Park. "I brought a new dimension to the play by casting two African American men in roles normally played by white actors," he said. Also in the cast were Marjorie Hillocks, '77, a fourth-grade teacher at Lab and her fellow alumni Jonathan Pereira, '94, and Cassandra Bissell, '96.
Evenings and Other Beginnings, a CD of poetry performed by English teacher John O'Connor and several other members of the Lab community, is available at 57th Street Books and from Amazon.com.