Creative Freedom in Computer Programming
By Max Hinkley, V Form
When I was younger, my favorite subjects were always math and science. I loved to do experiments, to try and find the answer to something my way, and to use my own creativity rather than a formula. As I grew up and advanced into more serious science, I became less and less engaged and interested. The more rigid, method-based style of solving problems that high school science courses offer did not captivate me nearly as much. I did not mind those problems, but I no longer enjoyed them. Math, in the same way, lost much of its appeal. I (more…)
Two IV Form Othello Essays: “Iago the Gardner” & “Emilia: Feminist Wisdom
By Allegra Forbes, IV Form, and Claudia Chung, IV Form
Allegra–“Iago the Gardener”:
A true villain invests time and care into his work, tending to his malevolent deeds tirelessly from whence they bloom in his mind to when they grow to be ripe and succulent. A true villain is as diligent as a gardener, scattering seeds of suspicion where he finds fertile soil, ripping out hindering weeds, irrigating his fields periodically, and even patiently waiting for nature to contribute its share. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the scheming and fickle Iago proves to be a brilliant gardener, using the entire stage and cast as his plowed field. (more…)
Promoting Women in STEM: St. Markers Attend Girls STEM Summit
By Haley Jeon, VI Form
When people are asked to picture a structural engineer or biomedical researcher, the image that comes to their minds most like is that of a male figure. The Girls STEM Summit held at MIT on Saturday, April 26th was a step towards changing that stereotype. This Summit is organized by Jr. Tech, whose mission is to engage 4-12 grade students in STEM education. The Girls STEM Summit is a one-day workshop for young women in grades 8-12 who love STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math. The day consisted of a keynote speaker followed by six career sessions. The (more…)
Commitment to Athletics in Education
By Patrick Travers, History Faculty
Hopefully you will never have to outrun a bear in your lifetime. If you do find yourself running away from a grizzly, physical fitness might save your life. But there must be other reasons to exercise, right? The sports tradition at St. Mark’s and many peer schools has deep historical roots. In his May Head’s Reflection, John Warren focused on the importance of athletics at St. Mark’s and the school’s continuing commitment to athletics in education. School athletic teams foster lifelong skills for students that can be transferred to a family (more…)
On a Teacher’s Life
By Kimberly Berndt, Science Department Head
I have taught in East and Central LA, rural North Carolina, a small Catholic day school in Massachusetts, in Newton, at Choate, the cross town high school highlighted in Friday Night Lights, a K-12 private school in Midland, Texas, and at St. Mark’s. I have worked with students struggling to understand physics in suburban Cleveland and watched students cling to their one spiral-ring notebook on the top of a mountain in Haiti. What I have gleaned from this experience in a diversity of settings is that kids are kids wherever you go. (more…)
The Greatest Contraction of American Democracy
By Kolbe Renkert, V Form
The following speech was written in response to the prompt, “What event in history most contracted or expanded American democracy?” I chose to write about the Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson as the greatest contraction of American democracy.
The legalization of second-class citizenship. The legalization of inferiority among races. The legalization of segregation. The 1896 Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson was the greatest contraction of democracy in the history of the United States because it gave power to the majority, created inequality among all citizens, interfered with personal liberties, and increased further segregation in public institutions. American democracy includes the (more…)
Making the Connection Between Food and Animal on the Farm
By Claire Benning, V Form–Currently Attending Chewonki Semester School
{Editor’s note: The following piece is graphic in its real, intelligent, and vivid portrayal of the writer’s experience of slaughtering a chicken.}
This is not something that we usually do at Chewonki. Legally we are not allowed to slaughter our own chickens to then serve to the dining hall; we have to send them to a slaughter house. This was a one-time opportunity that was made available to us by one of our faculty members who works in the woodshop. He had three roosters who were causing him some trouble and were dangerous to keep around both his hens and his baby daughter. He asked our (more…)
$$$ Entrepreneurship Makes You Bank $$$
By Jonathan Qu, V Form
It is well known to St. Marker’s that clubs here usually meet once or twice a year and then die out. This is not to say that all clubs cease to meet, but maybe 77% of clubs are categorize by this stereotype. Luckily, the Entrepreneurship Club is part of the other 23%. Up till now, Logan Kelly and I have had the duty to plan at least two meetings per month. So far, our main goal, to meet regularly, has been achieved; the next step for us is to set up a Shark Tank simulation. In ABC’s series Shark Tank, aspiring entrepreneurs stand before a panel of astute businesspeople who (more…)
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