What Is Cancer: Looking Through the Multiplex Lens of Immortality
By Tony Banson and Tommy MacNeil, V Form
What Is Cancer: Looking Through the Multiplex Lens of Immortality
Cancer is a disease that has touched the lives of many around the world (Figure 1). It is a disease that afflicts both the young and old, and the rich and poor. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 1,688,780 new cancer cases diagnosed and 600,920 cancer deaths in the United States in 2017 (Cancer Facts & Figures 2017). Biologically, this disease arises from one’s body when normal, healthy cells begin to grow uncontrollably. Because of genetic and environmental factors, the subset of cells no longer cooperate with evolution’s safety controls, bypassing important regulatory checkpoints of the cell cycle. With the advent of technology and medicine, humans are living longer and the cells that make up our bodies have more time to mutate in ways that can cause havoc.
Figure 1 which indicates total number of cancer cases and deaths globally in 2012.
From a personal standpoint, cancer has touched the lives of many of our loved ones. (more…)
This I Believe: Let’s Get Realigious
By Tom McKeown, V Form
This I Believe: Let’s Get Realigious
Religion comforts many people and has for most of human history. However, an omnipresent and omniscient being is inconceivable to some, while it frightens others. Religion offers answers to questions that cannot yet be answered through human conception like, “What happens after death?” However, I don’t believe a person needs religions to live a satisfied life.
As a child, I was taught that I would be satisfied with my life if I pursued something that I am passionate about. This always left me asking myself the question which passion is the right one? I was raised Roman Catholic and went to church every Sunday. I attended Sunday school after mass and often went to church functions during the week. I was surrounded by people sharing the same belief, and after my childhood I realized how many different religions were practiced and had existed. This epiphany made me feel small and significantly unsure of the lessons I had been taught. (more…)
20% Time (Genius Hour) With Freshmen: Civic Action
By Ms. Casey Pickett’s III Formers
20% Time (Genius Hour) With Freshmen: Civic Action
Editor’s Note: In Ms. Casey Pickett’s III Form English classes, her students pursue 20% Time (or “Genius Hour”) projects. Below are Ms. Pickett’s instructions, a student’s reflection, and several artifacts from the experience. Please keep scrolling!
Purpose:
The purpose of the project is to give you time to pursue something that you are passionate about, interested in, or something you’ve always wanted to do. It is a time for you to be creative and to take ownership of your learning AND your education. If it is important to you, it has value.
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to be a citizen (global, local, digital)?
What are civics? Why is it important that we are civically engaged?
How can I be a voice for and/or create social change?
Please click here for the full assignment explanation.
A Reflection by Paige LaMalva
As a student, I feel as though there isn’t enough time after academics and athletics to pursue something a student is interested in. At a school like St. Mark’s, for example, we are in class from 8:30am-3:00 pm and then at sports from 3:30-5:00 pm, which is followed by a short period of time to relax before study hall at 7:30 pm. With the 20% Time project, my fellow classmates and I were permitted to explore a topic of our interest. For me, I chose to research pancreatic cancer. Without the 45-minute block per week working on this, I wouldn’t have learned why pancreatic cancer is called “The Silent Cancer.” (more…)
Ugandan Human Rights
By Charles Brookby, III Form
Ugandan Human Rights
Editor’s Note: In The Global Seminar classes, each student wrote a research paper in February and March that was used as the foundation for a 4-5 minute speech presenting an argument (direction and specificity) relating to the following question: How does the global community respond to the abuse of human rights? And how should the global community respond? This speech won the Ely Speech Prize (founded in 1890): an annual competition for Third Formers.
In 1961, a man by the name of Joseph Kony was born. As a child, Kony grew up in Odek, Uganda where he was well educated, and in his adult life became a healer in his ethnic tribe of the Acholi people. As he grew up, Kony was exposed to horrific terror on his people conducted by the Ugandan government at the time. Kony joined an organization known as The Holy Spirit Movement in 1986. He quickly climbed the ranks, and became one the leaders, then ultimately took control and changed the party’s name to The Lord’s Resistance Army. For over 25 years, countries and the UN have been, frankly, oblivious to the horrendous actions of Joseph Kony and the LRA. Ugandan children have been taken, used, and killed at the hands of Kony and his men. Eventually, the International Criminal Court and UN peacekeeping programs have gotten involved in an attempt to stop the LRA. Though progress has been made, the LRA is still active and in power near northern Uganda and neighboring countries, and justice towards their actions has not been dealt. (more…)
“My Brother’s Baseball Mitt”–Script & Video on Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
By Colin Capenito, IV Form
“My Brother’s Baseball Mitt”–Script & Video on Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
Continued: Click here for full script!
Moments of Significant Expansion or Contraction of U.S. Democracy
By Anthony D’Angelo, Sophie Haugen, Kaela Dunne, Rebecca Lovett, and Izzy (Minjae) Kim, V Form
Moments of Significant Expansion or Contraction of U.S. Democracy
The Shen Prize is a speech competition for V Formers responding to the prompt: What is a moment of significant expansion or contraction of United States’ democracy?
Below are links to the text of the speeches by the five finalists as well as the video of the actual speeches. The Shen Prize was bestowed upon Rebecca Lovett.
In order of appearance:
Anthony D’Angelo: The All-American Girl’s Professional Baseball League
Sophie Haugen: Xenophobia–Never the Answer
Kaela Dunne: Reclaim the Title “Home of the Brave”
Rebecca Lovett (Shen Prize): The Civil Rights Act of 1964–Greatest Expansion of Human Rights, Suffrage, Opportunity, and Democracy
Izzy (Minjae) Kim: Leveraging the “Soft Power” of the U.N. (more…)
Collaborating on the Command Form in French
By Two French II Classes
Collaborating on the Command Form in French
Editor’s Note: French II students did a full class collaboration in which they made a video entitled, “How to survive at St. Mark’s: A guide for new students.” The video was designed to use the command form in French. The collaborative nature of this project meant that every student had a role in editing, filming, adding music, collecting videos, writing and revising the actual script.
Click here or above image for video by Frank Hua, Nate King, Luc Côté, Jovin Ho, William Osborne, Paige LaMalva, Emma Viens, Izzy O’Toole, Jonathan Noel, Daniela Martinez, and Julianna Gong.
Click here above image for video by Ainsley Dubose, Tucker Hartmann, Sam Leslie, Leann Li, Phoebe Macleod, Aidana Maitekova, Dom Mongillo, Edwardo Perez, Noah Robb, Robert Somme’s, Lindsay Strong, Benjamin Teixeira, Madeleine Wass, TianYu Zhao, and Lucy Zheng. (more…)
Explaining the Immigration Crisis with Confucianism
By Alan Gao, IV Form
Explaining the Immigration Crisis with Confucianism
In recent years, news of immigrants and refugees flooding into Europe along with reports of violence and terrorist attacks have spread rapidly. As a result, many people have become more hostile towards immigrants, especially as Donald Trump appeared on the political stage. In Europe, which has been affected most by the refugee crisis, there was a rise in anti-immigrant supporters that led to an increase in support for many populist right-wing political parties. France, for instance, saw the National Front rise to be the second largest party in the nation. In Hungary, the leader of its current ruling party, Fidesz, has claimed that “[f]or us migration is not a solution but a problem … not medicine but a poison, we don’t need it and won’t swallow it” (The Guardian). In Netherlands, the “Dutch Donald Trump” Geert Wilders, led the Party for Freedom to be the second largest party in the nation as well. Not to mention, there are many countries, like Denmark, that have already instituted a strict immigration process in the past dozen years. What is the cause of the rise? (more…)
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