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The President Who Made Apollo: John F. Kennedy and The U.S. Soviet Moon Race, From His Speeches, Letters, and Memos
Mo Liu, VI Form
The President Who Made Apollo: John F. Kennedy and The U.S. Soviet Moon Race, From His Speeches, Letters, and Memos
Editors’ Note: Mo Liu conducted her History Fellowship research on J.F. Kennedy and his decision to go to the Moon. Below is the introduction and you can click here for the full paper:
Introduction
Soviets, Space, and Sputnik
As the gunpowder smoke of the Second World War slowly faded away, the United States and the Soviet Union were the only two superpowers remaining, and the formal allies soon turned into bitter rivals.[1]The United States believed it stood supreme in ideals, leadership, and influence, while the Soviet Union was determined to contest that claim and “by any means necessary” secure its position at the top.[2]Given the intense differences between their ideologies, cultures, and government structures, conflicts were inevitable. The Cold War, the longest war in modern history, began quietly without a shot of cannon.
Towards the end of WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union were competing for German rocketry technology as well as scientists working on the rocket development project. Rockets received attention primarily due to their potential as a military weapon; the sole function of rockets was thought to be as carriers of atomic warheads. The United States and the Soviet Union’s desperation to gain the secrets to German rocketry was, therefore, a result of their desire to strengthen each nation’s military arsenal. The rocketry competition rose to new heights on October 4, 1957, when the Soviets launched the first satellite into orbit.[3]The Soviet Union accomplished this great feat without making any previous announcement, so, when amateur space enthusiasts in the United States picked up Sputnik’s radio signals as it flew across the American sky, the entire nation reacted with amazement and disbelief. In an open letter to The New York Herald Tribune, economist Bernard Baruch described America’s reaction to Sputnik: “Suddenly, rudely, we are awakened to the fact that the Russians have outdistanced us in a race which we thought we were winning. It is Russia, not the United States, who has had the imagination to hitch its wagon to the stars and the skill to reach for the Moon and all but grasp it.”[4]The space race, as people would later call it, had officially begun. (more…)
Biology: Membrane Structure and Function
By Alex Cardonick, V Form
Biology: Membrane Structure and Function
Editors’ Note: In Advanced Biology, students are often evaluated on the reflection of their learning process. They constantly ask themselves questions that demonstrate advanced scholarship such as “How am I connecting each part of my learning into a flowing story?” and “What do I still not understand?” This form of deep reflection is summarized in each student’s ePortfolio at the end of a unit, which includes several different Learning Outcomes ranging from “Dynamic Homeostasis” to “The Central Dogma of Biology.” These Learning Outcomes are often present throughout multiple units, and therefore challenges the students to synthesize information across different areas of focus.
Linked here is Alex Cardonick’s ePortfolio on Learning Outcome 6: Membrane Structure and Function, including four Artifacts of Learning, including text, video, and images.
Introductory Narrative:
Cell membranes act as the “guards” of the cell. Membranes’ structure consists of phospholipids tightly 
knitted together by their hydrophobic tails, with the hydrophilic heads sticking out on either side. This phospholipid bilayer structure makes membranes semi-permeable; they let small, non-polar molecules such as water and carbon dioxide in, while keeping out large and polar substances such as starch and Iodide anions. In addition, cell membranes can be modified to help cells perform specific functions. Proteins added into the phospholipid structure can create transport channels for molecules that cannot travel through the membrane itself, such as Na+ ions in the nerve impulse. These ions allow a neuron to send a signal in the form of an action potential. Furthermore, molecules and ions can even move against the concentration gradient by active transport when a transport protein and outside energy are provided. This type of movement across a membrane allows essential functions such as the repolarization of the nerve impulse to occur when Sodium-Potassium pumps “reset” the nerve impulse to its resting membrane potential by moving the ions against the concentration gradient. (more…)
Taboo or Taking a Stand? Why Sexual Assault Needs More Attention
By Lucy Martinson, V Form
Taboo or Taking a Stand? Why Sexual Assault Needs More Attention
Editors’ Note: In Dr. Worrell’s Social Justice course, students identified an issue that they wanted to take a stand on and then researched to write an evidence-based editorial to demonstrate that they have built knowledge and skills. This assignment was modeled on The New York Times Learning Network Student Editorial Contest.
Image from CBC News
Sexual assault has always existed but became more visible recently with actresses such as Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie accusing acclaimed director Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. The outbreak of these allegations brought the nation’s attention to the issue of sexual assault and harassment. Following this, actress Alyssa Milano started the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter, encouraging women to speak out and share their stories. This movement gained rapid popularity and snowballed across various means of social media, with thousands of women (and men) replying with their experiences and/or their support. Yet, even with these recent high profile cases, there is still work to be done to raise awareness regarding the prevalence of sexual assault. (more…)
Comparing Korean Forced Labor on Hashima to the U.S.’s Internment of Japanese-Americans
By Izzy Kim, VI Form
Comparing Korean Forced Labor on Hashima to the U.S.’s Internment of Japanese-Americans
Soon after the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry, Japan underwent a major industrial revolution. The new Meiji government altered political, cultural, and educational sectors of Japan and even drafted a new constitution to embrace westernization. The rapidly westernizing Japan expanded its sphere of influence in Asia and overpowered China which did not adopt western ideals and technologies. Although the road to Japanese Imperialism in the 1930s to its grand wartime strategies in 1945 are certainly notable, Japan had a blank check in committing unspeakable atrocities during this period. The history of modern slavery and comfort women in Hashima, one of the most crucial industrialization sites of the Imperial Japan, is the very embodiment of the abominable and often ignored history behind Japan’s rise to power.
The example of forced labor of Koreans on Hashima can be compared to U.S. internment of Japanese-Americans since in both cases, a foreign group was suppressed during wartime to ensure security of the “stronger” nation. However, how Japan and the U.S. reacted to their historical atrocities is vastly different. America later acknowledged how they infringed upon the rights of Japanese-Americans with an executive order and apologized, while Japan chose to ignore the existence of Korean forced laborers on the island during World War II. In fact, Japan went as so far as to acquire a UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Hashima in 2015 in a decade-long struggle to register the island as a momentous site of industrial revolution. UNESCO’s decision to grant the island a World Heritage Site status faced many controversies leading to the production of the 2017 Korean film The Battleship Island. (more…)
Leadership from All Directions – The Collaborative Effort of Lion Term
By Liz McCulloch, Director of Lion Term and French Faculty
Leadership from All Directions – The Collaborative Effort of Lion Term
Editors’ Note: This piece originally appeared in the gcLi’s Leadership blog on 2 April. You can further seek the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute on Facebook by clicking here.
Last Spring, our entire community experienced the first ever St. Mark’s Lion Term, a two-week experiential education program that ends the school year. During Lion Term, each grade has its own unique focus and all 10th grade students work with local organizations to promote community engagement. We adopted a modified version of the African Leadership Academy’s BUILD model, a form of design-thinking adapted for social entrepreneurship. The ideas were iterated and tested first, and students came away with the confidence that working together, they can play a role in their communities.
One of my favorite stories from last year’s Lion Term involves a group of 10th grade students who worked at Daniel’s Table, an organization committed to ending hunger in Framingham, MA and beyond. After volunteering to serve meals and talking to the founders and clients at Daniel’s Table, our group recognized that it would be helpful to list the ingredients in multiple languages for those who do not speak English or who are not familiar with the local produce. The group decided to make laminated cards with ingredients in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on one side and recipe ideas on the back. In working to understand the needs that the organization was meeting, our students were able to offer a solution that helped the organization to improve its service. (more…)
Language Immersion Trips: A Must-Have For A Student’s Bucket List
By Paige LaMalva, IV Form
Language Immersion Trips: A Must-Have For A Student’s Bucket List
I have loved the French language ever since I was in sixth grade. My middle school French teacher, Mrs. Okacha, made French my favorite subject because her class was both engaging and interactive. When I was in eighth grade, I helped lead one of her younger classes because I appreciated and enjoyed French so much.
After arriving at St. Mark’s and hearing about the French language trip offered every other year, I wanted to pursue it. I still loved the language, and I was to speaking a lot more French with my teacher, Ms. McColloch. I kept telling myself, “I can’t wait to be a sophomore and communicate in a real-world scenario.” I was exhilarated to find out that I got a spot on the trip. My French education would be applied in a real-world setting! Reading and speaking French was going to be challenging, but I was ready to take it on. (more…)
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