CATCHING UP WITH OHS ALUMNI GET READY FOR FINAL

ANNUAL
FUND
UPDATE
PG. 20
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
ALUMNI
EDITION
CATCHING UP
WITH OHS
ALUMNI
SEE WHAT THEY HAVE
BEEN UP TO
PG. 16
Celebrating our Caroline D. Bradley
Scholarship Winners
pg. 11
GET READY FOR
FINAL EXAMS
WITH SOME TIPS
PG. 8
BETTER KNOW
AN INSTRUCTOR
LEARN MORE ABOUT
DR. DOHERTY
PG. 14
STUDENT
NEWS
PG. 22
November/December 2015
3
OHS & THE ARTS
Exploring New Student Artwork
5
A WORD FROM THE HEAD
OF SCHOOL
’Tis the Season for Giving
6
MEETUPS
From hikes to MIT Splash
12
KEEPING UP WITH
THE CURRICULUM
Dr. Scarborough Looks Back on
the New First Semester Courses
14
BETTER KNOW AN
INSTRUCTOR
In this Issue, get to know Dr. Doherty
16
7
CATCHING UP WITH
OHS ALUMNI
Reliving the spooky, scary, and
funny!
20
8
Stanford OHS Annual Fund Update
HALLOWEEN COSTUME
CONTEST
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL
YEAR
Final Exam Tips from Advising,
Counseling, and Registrar
10
STUDENT TUTOR PROFILE
Meet Natalie, Honors
Precalculus Tutor
TECH TIPS
For Students by Students
11
Updates from our amazing
graduates
GETTING TO THE NEXT 10!
22
STUDENT NEWS
Students share what
they have been up to!
24
STUDENT VIEWS
A Letter from the
Student Body President
25
SCIENCE HAPPENS
Sharing Science
THE CAROLINE D. BRADLEY
SCHOLARSHIP
Celebrating our 2015 Winners
STANFORD SUMMER
A Special Invitation to OHS Students
Contributors
EDITORIAL TEAM
SUMMAR AUBREY
Director of Student Life
& Community
[email protected]
STEPHANIE GRIFFIN
Graphic Designer
[email protected]
CODY SNAPP
Web Content &
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
ALUMNI CONTRIBUTORS
CHLOE CLOUGHER (2015)
JACKIE JESCHKE (2015)
DANIELLE KOHUT (2015)
ERIN MAIDMAN (2015)
AMANDA URKE (2015)
MACKENZIE DRAZAN (2014)
JANELLE KENDELL (2010)
LIVINGSTON MARTIN (2010)
STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS
GWYNETH CAMPBELL (2016)
MEGAN GESSNER (2016)
STORRIE KULYNYCH-IRVIN (2020)
QUINN MULLER (2019)
NATALIE LEBARON (2018)
PARENT CONTRIBUTORS
GINA CHAFFIN, OHSPA VP
SUSAN SMITH, OHSPA Secretary
FRIDA KUMAR &
JOHNATHAN ROBERTSON,
Annual Fund Co-Chairs
STAFF CONTRIBUTORS
JAMES DOHERTY
Science Instructor
[email protected]
KIM FAILOR
Division Head of Science
[email protected]
CLAIRE GOLDSMITH
Director of OHS Admissions
[email protected]
MARYANN JANOSIK
Head of School
[email protected]
ILLUSTRATION BY:
YOUNG CHAN KIM,
CORROSION,
MIXED MEDIA
2 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
JEFF SCARBOROUGH
Director of Curriculum
[email protected]
TRACY STEELE
Director of Counseling
[email protected]
OHS & the Arts
1
2
Share your
artwork
with us!
Find out how
on pg. 26!
3
1
MELODY WU,
SHADES OF BLUE,
ACRYLIC PAINT
2
UMAR AHMED BADAMI,
HUMMINGBIRD,
ACRYLIC PAINT
3
DANIELA ZAKS,
FLEETING MOMENT AT SUNSET
(ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND),
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
4
4
ZAHRA PETIWALA,
DOG,
PENCIL & MARKERS
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 3 PHOTO BY:
ISABELLA BROTCHIE,
MOUNTAINS IN AUSTRIA,
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
4 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
A Word from the
Head of School

’Tis the Season for Giving
BY MARYANN JANOSIK
‘TIS THE SEASON: THE SEASON OF CELEBRATIONS (including the successful end of the fall semester), the season of reaching out to others, the season of giving. It is also a time for reflection, pausing to think about how to integrate all that we learn into
all that we do.
On November 13, I had the pleasure of attending the OHS Service Fair where I listened to presentations from students and instructors who are involved in various service activities in their communities. Projects ranged from introducing children to classical
music to helping fund surgeries for the blind. While the topics were
wide and varied, one thing was clear: the excitement generated by
each presentation was contagious, and the smiles on the faces of
those engaged in community service showed a kind of satisfaction
that transcends learning and a sense of accomplishment.
Service learning seems like a natural extension of OHS’s rigorous curriculum. It invites us to explore Kant’s notion of “the good
will” or participate in Dorothy Day’s belief that each of us will know
the work we do is good “by the joy that it brings us.” Such concepts
challenge us to be risk-takers of a different kind: using our skills
and abilities to reach out to those less fortunate, to make our immediate world a better place. Once again, I’m calling on the wisdom of Charles Shultz to remind us that how we apply what we
learn is as important as the knowledge we acquire.
Best wishes to all during this holiday season, and thanks to those
who are already extending our OHS mission into your local communities.
The world is already better because of your genuinely good
work. And I am most grateful
for all that our OHS staff, instructors, and parents do to
help make OHS the vibrant
learning community it is.
“What if today, we
were just grateful
for everything?”
—Charles Shultz
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 5 Meetups
Attend
or host a
meetup!
Find out how on
Gateway.
Huddart Park
Monthly hiking meetups in the Bay Area of California have been a
great way for Stanford OHS families to connect this year. Here are
pictures from the August, September, and October hikes.
Castle Rock Park
Mission Peak
MIT Splash
The 2015 OHS MIT Splash Meetup was quite the event with 150 OHS students and
families converging on Cambridge for the weekend. Highlights of the weekend
included an evening at the Microsoft New England Research and Development
Center, a flag football game, middle school outings to the Museum of Science and
the MIT museum, the 2nd annual homecoming dance and a parent community
engagement dinner with MaryAnn Janosik. A great time was had by all!
6 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Halloween
Costume Contest

Back in October we had our annual Halloween Costume Contest
during our fall assembly. We wanted to recap on some of the fun
we had then!
1
2
3
SCARIEST
1st Place (1)
James Plumleigh — Evil Jester
2nd Place (2)
Caroline Bragg — Elizabethan Doll
3rd Place (3)
Graham Estelle — Burned Man
4
5
6
FUNNIEST
1st Place (4)
Noah Mohamed — NaOH
(sodium hydroxide)
2nd Place (5)
Maddie Hurwitz — Minion
MOST ORIGINAL
7
8
9
1st Place (6)
Calder Hansen — Many Faces of Me
2nd Place (7)
Chloe Green — Pumpkin Head
3rd Place (8)
CJ Nave — Glow Man
BEST OVERALL
(9)
Nico Machado — Nico de los
Muertos with Pixel de los Muertos
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 7 TIPS
15
r 20
e
b
em
Dec
successful year
From Advising, Counseling, & Registrar

BY TRACY STEELE
Final Exam Tips
Next week is final exam week, and the Advising, Counseling, and Registrar teams would like to provide you with
important tips to help you prepare for finals—and take care of yourself afterward!
BEFORE EXAM WEEK
CONFIRM YOUR PROCTORING APPOINTMENTS: Confirm both
the start time and the length of each exam.
KEEP YOUR BRAIN IN TOP SHAPE: Eat. Sleep. Exercise. Breathe.
CONSIDER CREATING CONDENSED STUDY GUIDES: For classes that require memorization of material, try to condense it onto a
single page or index card which you can carry with you to review. Or
use a flashcard app to help you review the material.
TEST YOURSELF: Create a list of questions that might appear on
the exam. Then answer them in as much detail as you can.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RESOURCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES:
Connect with instructors during office hours and exam review sessions; get support from your OHS Counselor; use the OHS Writing
& Resource Center, including student tutors; reference the Exam
Study Tips page on Gateway.
CONNECT WITH POSITIVE STUDY PARTNERS: Work with peers
who will help you learn and not feed exam anxieties!
24 HOURS BEFORE EACH EXAM
CONFIRM WITH YOUR PROCTORS: Make sure that they have
downloaded the exam, and have them contact the Registrar’s
Office if they are unable to access the exam.
GO TO BED EARLY: Get a good night’s sleep before each exam.
8 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
EXAM DAY
THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS: Nervous energy can turn into
anxiety or lack of focus. Stay present and remind yourself of your
strengths and of the time and effort you have spent learning the
concepts over the semester.
REVIEW THE ENTIRE EXAM BEFORE YOU START: Be sure to
read all the instructions.
ORGANIZE YOUR TIME: Don’t spend an inordinate amount of
time on one problem or question. Check your work as time allows.
AFTER THE EXAM
REFLECT BRIEFLY: Devote a short period of time after the exam
ends to thinking about what you could learn from the experience,
whether you feel the exam went well or not.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK: Between the final exam and the start
of spring semester, collect your course materials and consider storing them away in a drawer (and/or moving computer files to an organized folder) to avoid worrying about the exam or course.
LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE: An assessment such as a final exam can be a powerful learning experience. When you receive
your graded exam after the break, review it thoroughly. Where did
you do well? What do you need to work on? This will help you have
the best possible foundation for success next semester.
WAYS TO HELP
YOUR CHILD
Tips
for
Parents
MAINTAIN A PRODUCTIVE
& DISTRACTION-FREE
STUDY ENVIRONMENT
Work on a study schedule together so both
student and family needs are met. Provide
healthy snacks and water for energy, and
encourage away-from-screens breaks.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY:
YOUNG CHAN KIM,
KEYBOARD (ABOVE) &
BIOLOGY (BELOW),
MIXED MEDIA
BE ENCOURAGING & SUPPORTIVE
Normalize stress and remind your child of
his or her strengths and past successes.
When your child is struggling, help make
the situation concrete and controllable.
Ask questions like, “What resources could
help you with that?”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 9 
Student
Tutor Profile
BOOK A
TUTOR!
Helping Others,
And Getting Help
BY NATALIE LEBARON
HI, MY NAME IS NATALIE
LEBARON and I am a
sophomore at my third
year at Stanford OHS. In
my time at Stanford OHS,
I have had the pleasure
of working with Rebecca
Shields and Anthony Bennette along with several of
the peer tutors at the Writing and Resource Center
(WRC) where I serve as a
Peer Tutor for Methodology of Science – Biology and
Honors Pre-Calculus.
As a Peer Tutor, I try to
provide the best advice
I can, deferring to the instructor as necessary, while
also navigating the intermittent technical troubles
I'm sure everyone at Stanford OHS has experienced
at one time or another. I
thoroughly enjoy the process of helping my fellow
students, and I hope to do
so for many more years.
In addition to tutoring at
the WRC, I am a math tutor at my local library for
students 6th grade through
12th, and I enjoy helping
my classmates at every
chance.
I think that the tutoring
services provided through
the Writing & Resource Center are exemplary. Tutoring is not something students should be ashamed
of or hard-pressed to find.
Everyone at some point
has needed or will need additional explanation of a
concept, or someone with
whom to brainstorm. And
in my years as a student, I
have found no better alternative to the tutors and resources found within the
WRC. Whenever I have an
essay to write, I always start
early and make several appointments to discuss the
prompt and my ideas with
Ms. Shields, Mr. Bennette, or
a Peer Tutor. Their help has
been invaluable, and I am
sure I could not have done
as well on my essays and
assignments without hav-
10 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
ing met and discussed my
writing with these tutors.
In other subjects, I have
turned to Peer Tutors for
clarification of problems I
did not quite understand
from class, each meeting
leading to my developing
a better understanding of
the concepts and applications. Each tutor is nominated by their instructor as
a knowledgeable and helpful resource, and the Writing Center staff are highly
skilled and readily available
for any student's needs.
Natalie is a tutor
for Methodology of
Science – Biology
and Honors PreCalculus and is
available to meet
on Wednesdays and
Thursdays at 8–9pm
PST and Sundays
7–9pm PST. To book
an appointment
with Natalie or
a Peer Tutor for
another course,
visit stanford.
mywconline.com.
NEW!
TECH TIPS FOR STUDENTS BY STUDENTS
WAYS TO STUDY SMARTER
When it comes to studying, technology can help you increase
memorization and recall, manage your study time, and even
take much-needed breaks. We’re certain these tips from OHS
students will help you succeed as the year quickly winds down.
TOP TIP: Use Quizlet.com or the Quizlet app for flashcards, tests,
and study games make it fun to learn anything.
Find more Tips on the Gateway!
The Caroline D.
Bradley Scholarship

Celebrating our Stanford OHS Winners
2015
WINNERS
BY CLAIRE GOLDSMITH
OVER THE YEARS, several Stanford OHS students have distinguished themselves by winning a prestigious and selective national scholarship for gifted students across the country:
the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship (CDB).
Currently, five Stanford OHS students are CBD
Scholars, and another three recently spent
their middle school years at Stanford OHS before attending boarding school. Each year, only
about 30 students are selected nationally for
this award, so Stanford OHS has a particularly remarkable representation of CDB Scholars!
Administered by the Institute for Educational
Advancement, the CDB Scholarship is the only
merit-based, need-blind high school scholar-
ship for gifted students in the US. It provides
winners with a four-year scholarship to high
school—and much more: individualized support on school selection and beyond and access to a group of other gifted students around
the country at all stages of their education
and careers. Students apply during their 7th
grade years, spend their 8th grade years working with the CDB staff to craft the optimal high
school list and apply, and then receive funding
through all of high school.
We are very proud of our current Stanford
OHS CDB Scholars and encourage other students to apply for this special opportunity. The
application deadline will be in April 12, 2016.
Grant Morgan (2018)
Molly Katherine
Pyne-Jaeger (2018)
Holly McCann (2019)
Calder Hansen (2019)
Elizabeth Surman (2020)
Stanford Summer
A Special Invitation to OHS Students
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies offers a number of exciting summer programs. All OHS applicants
will be given special consideration during the admission process. Apply early!
RESIDENTIAL ENRICHMENT (GRADES 8–11)
SUMMER ARTS INSTITUTE—NEW!
Interdisciplinary study at the intersection of art
and academia. Choose among 6 courses.
PRE-COLLEGIATE SUMMER INSTITUTES
3-week residential program in a single subject
intensive course.
SUMMER HUMANITIES INSTITUTE
Humanities courses taught by Stanford faculty
(grades 10–11).
MATHEMATICS CAMP [SUMaC]
Advanced mathematics study through lectures,
research, and group problems (grades 10–11).
COLLEGE CREDIT (AGES 16–19)
HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER COLLEGE
145 college courses earning Stanford undergraduate credit with residential, commuter,
and online options.
SUMMER COLLEGE ACADEMY
Hybrid courses—half taught in an online synchronous class and half on Stanford’s campus.
UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ONLINE MATH & PHYSICS
13 university-level, self-paced online courses for students who have surpassed the high
school curriculum (for all high school ages).
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 11 As the first
semester
draws to
a close, we
want to
share with
you some
highlights
from
courses
new to
Stanford
OHS this
year.
These courses represent not only growth
in the range of courses available to students, but also ongoing efforts to draw
on the unique expertise of our teachers and to build rich connections across
courses for students.
Among the numerous additions and
revisions to advanced courses offerings
is the History Research Seminar, this
year focused on the intellectual history
intellectual history from the Enlightenment to the 20th century. Students in this
course have the rare opportunity to participate in a class in which two teachers
—Dr. Kenkel and Dr. Smith—are actively involved in each session. This format
has helped students engage the course’s
interdisciplinary question of how people
have processed modernization and modernity. In one session, the class listened
to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, with the
ensuing student-led discussion considering the piece as a powerful mode of
persuasion or emotional argumentation
distinct from logical and philosophical
norms they study in Core.
Such intersections with other courses
have been facilitated by other additions
at the advanced level. The first of two
12 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
optional semester-long Advanced Topics
in Philosophy courses, Technology and
Identity, has drawn on and enriched discussions on human nature, ethics, decision making, and free will in courses
like Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule
of Law, and Critical Reading and Argumentation. Dr. Wallhagen also notes
that the course’s characteristic Core emphasis on bringing philosophical thinking to bear on contemporary problems
has been particularly effective. Current
popular discussions of developments in
brain science and artificial intelligence
have been timely fodder for the course’s
exploration of the potential impact of
advanced technology on our conception
of ourselves and the ethical issues such
technologies might bring to the fore.
The Nature of Tomorrow: Animals, the
Environment, and Ethical Systems, the
spring Advanced Topics in Philosophy
course taught by Dr. Walker-Dale, will
build on those ethical themes.
The English division’s Advanced Topics sequence for the year illustrates how
courses with college-style focus on a period or genre can help students fruitfully explore questions with broader appli-
cation. Dr. Hruska’s fall course, Russian
Literature in the 19th Century, reads
texts by authors including Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy,
and Chekhov. One of her favorite recent
discussions considered (with detail from
the text!) the potential and limits of literature to call on its readers to create
change in the world, to act against cruelty and injustice. In the spring, students
will be moving to Russian literature in
the 20th century, examining ideas of revolution, oppression, and individuality in
film and literature.
Much of the
curricular
Development
at Stanford
OHS focuses
on subject and
content areas
where students
would benefit
from more
thorough and
tailored study.
A new course this year in legal studies, Constitutional Law, gives students
in the heart of their careers at Stanford
OHS an extensive foundation in the
Constitution through Supreme Court
opinions. In the spring, students will use
this background to argue the merits of
a case on the Court’s docket this term
(Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin,
an Equal Protection case on race-based
college admissions criteria). Students
will be on the cutting edge of preparation to evaluate the Court’s holdings
when they are published this later in the
spring.
A range of new courses this year continue efforts to give opportunities in
new areas to new groups of students
at Stanford OHS. Latin 1B completes
the two-year Middle School sequence
in Latin, with students moving into extended passage translation and more indepth study of Roman culture through
material evidence in the spring. Semester-long courses in Portrait Drawing and
Landscape Drawing build on last year’s
pilot with the Otis College of Art and
Design. These courses are pioneering
methods of synchronous online art instruction: Dr. Kenkel and teachers from
Otis will be presenting on this collaboration at a national symposium for independent schools in the spring. With
this model in mind, we are looking forward to a six-week pilot course in creative writing this spring as we continue to explore creative arts offerings at
Stanford OHS.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 13 Interview by Cody Snapp
Get to know a little bit
about Dr. Doherty—
instructor of science
at Stanford OHS
(Earth, Environment,
and Energy and Honors
Chemistry), avid hiker, and
East Coast educated.
How long have you
been teaching at
Stanford OHS?
JD—1.5 years
What do you like
about teaching at
Stanford OHS?
The people! The students at
OHS are the perfect combination of bright and genuine. A
lot of the university students
I worked with were bright
but jaded, so it’s refreshing
to work with a population
of students who are really
curious and eager to learn.
Similarly, my colleagues at
OHS are very open to new
ideas and
approaches
to teaching,
which leads
to some really stimulating
discussions
about how
we teach
and how to
teach effectively online.
14 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
What is your
favorite topic to
teach and why?
Climate change in Earth Environment and Energy for two
reasons: 1) The sooner we
get some superstar students
to understand the science
of climate change the sooner they can start thinking up
mitigative and adaptive solutions that really work! (no
pressure guys), and 2) Some
of the topics we cover within climate changes tie back
really nicely to some of the
fundamental earth science
topics covered in the fall semester. From my perspective
it’s really cool to see students
apply what they’ve learned
throughout the course.
What do you
love the most
about being an
educator, and
what first inspired
you to pursue it
as a career?
It’s always new. At OHS every
student approaches things
differently and every class
session provides an opportunity for me to think a little bit harder about the material and the way I teach
it. Although most people
have probably heard that
the life of a research ecologist is all limos and lights, it
can get pretty repetitive to
work on very similar projects in one’s specialty and
write very similar papers/
grants over and over again. In
short, I moved into teaching
because it’s novel and fun.
What do you do
for fun when you
are not teaching
and what are
your hobbies?
Hiking and running! I’m loving the mountains and salt
marshes of the bay area.
It weirded me out that the
weather is always nice when
I first moved to California,
but somehow I got over it.
Do you have a
favorite quote
and if you do why
do you like it?
“He who possesses little is
that much less possessed.”
This resonates with me now,
as an itinerant apartment-dweller, but 20 or
30 years from now when
I’m arguing with a DMV
employee about paying
for the registration sticker for
my fishing boat
trailer I bet it will
still make sense.
What is the best
book you've read
recently, and why
did you enjoy it?
A collection of short stories
by John Updike, which included a great story about an
old man meeting an old girlfriend at his 50th high school
reunion and trying to carry on a conversation. I’ve always liked Updike; I find his
writing about awkward social
situations both anxiety-provoking and entertaining.
What is one thing
about you that the
students/parents
may not know?
I started undergrad at my local community college and
then transferred to a state
school that is not well known
outside NY. I mention this because it surprised OHS students I was working with last
summer. I know that many
OHS pixels are gunning for super-prestigious colleges, and
that makes total sense. If you
can go to an ivy league school,
you probably should. But going to a less-prestigious college isn’t the end of the world.
As Frank Bruni puts it: where
you go is not who you’ll be.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 15 Mackenzie speaking on mental health.
Jackie competing (above)
and signing posters.
Janelle biking and hanging out at the beach.
16 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Chloe (’15)
Clougher
In July, Chloe traveled to the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C.
to receive an award from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. In the process, she got to meet with the head of Boeing Defense, Space & Security and the commandant of the Marine Corps
during a special leadership program.
Since then, it has been an amazing experience for her at the College of the Holy Cross. Chloe recently finished her first season rowing on the Women’s Rowing team and is currently surviving winter
workouts. In addition, she is now a contracted cadet in the United
States Air Force ROTC program and a few weeks ago she was promoted to the position of deputy commander in the wing of cadets!
She says the experience has been incredible and she has formed
some of her closest college friendships struggling through 150
push-ups during morning PT and celebrating during formal military events such as dining-in (look up “grog bowl”—you won’t be
disappointed). Recently, she became a member of the Air Force
ROTC Honor Guard.
Chloe was also elected to Holy Cross’s Residence House Council
and had a great time recently fundraising for impoverished families
in the local community this Thanksgiving.
During November, Chloe was invited by the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest ranking military officer in the U.S.
armed services) to the Marine Corps Birthday Luncheon in Boston,
MA. At the luncheon, she was honored to be recognized with a special scholarship called the “Semper Fidelis Scholarship” and was
awarded a challenge coin by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dunford. Governor Baker and two Medal of Honor Recipients
were also in attendance.
Jackie (’15)
Jeschke
Jackie is in her freshman year at the University of Nebraska, where
she is a student-athlete, representing the University through swimming. Her team has had three wins this season against Iowa State,
Northern Iowa, and South Dakota State.
They have a final meet in Kansas before Jackie gets to return
to Georgia for the holidays. Jackie said that Stanford OHS really
helped her prepare for college. She is able to balance swimming
and academics very well.
This year is her brother Mike’s first year at Stanford OHS—she’s
glad another Jeschke gets to experience what she did!
Danielle (’15)
Kohut
Danielle started working at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, specifically the Arctic Studies and Research department. She is very active in sustainability efforts on
campus. She also compiles music for the 90s hour on Dartmouth’s
very popular music station, 99Rock. Danielle is pursuing a double
major in Native American Studies and Religion and is also completing general prelaw requirements.
Danielle and friends.
Erin (’15)
Maidman
Erin just finished her freshman season as a member of the Colby College Women’s Volleyball Team. She had the opportunity to
start as their Libero for the majority of the season, and the team
was fortunate enough to make NESCAC playoffs this year. Erin describes it as an awesome experience. She has also begun doing research with the Maine Concussion Management Initiative, which is
about to start a project on the inter- and intradevice reliability of
the phones we use for balance testing, which promises to be interesting and informative. Erin has been training for a half-marathon in April with some of her new friends at Colby, which she says
is a great outlet for my energy and a good source of structure. Erin
loves Colby College, but dearly misses home and getting to be a
part of the incredible OHS community.
Jackie competing in backstroke.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 17 Mackenzie
Drazan (’14)
Mackenzie working on TEAM’s website.
Amanda (’15)
Urke
Amanda started at Stanford this fall, and although there's so many
exciting things going on, she wants to take this opportunity to
spread the word about a really cool class she’s taking this fall—a
seminar taught by Professor Paul Wender called “Science Innovation and Communication.” The focus of this course is to address
the challenge of communicating important and innovative scientific news to the public in a way that is simple and exciting. As a final
product, the class will be publishing a website called “Fascinate,”
an online science publication geared towards making science more
accessible for high-school- to college-aged students. Amanda and
her classmates have each worked on individual articles that will be
published, and are now working as a team to spread the word to
our old high schools, other high schools in the area, and our community here at Stanford. The Stanford Daily newspaper actually
just published an article about the class which can be found here.
The project final website will go live on December 2 at www.fasci-nate.com. Check it out for some fun, quick reads on topics from
designer babies and lab-grown brains to extraterrestrial life and
the salamander's in Stanford’s own Lake Lagunita!
Amanda at Stanford’s Oval.
18 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Since the passing of her sister, Shelby Drazan who also attended
Stanford OHS, Mackenzie has worked on founding a website for
adolescent mental health called TEAM (Teaching Everyone About
Mental Health).
Mackenzie, on TEAM: “The goal of the website is to give people
advice from the beginning so that the learning curve isn't so steep,
as well as to provide them with the resources to obtain the right
help for their loved one.
Another component of all this project is that people forget how
hard this process is on the friends and family caring for the loved
one who is struggling. This process is a team effort so it is important that those providing the care and support are also taken care
of. Mental health is a very difficult concept to understand since so
much of how we interact with people is by judging their emotions
and thoughts based on how we personally would respond to what
one says. Mental illness makes this hard to do since people who
haven't had experience with the diseases before won't be able to
think in the same way that those affected do. I know that I personally struggled with this empathy barrier with my sister. Looking
back now, there are ways that I have learned to understand the disease and mindsets more that I wish I had from the beginning. This
is a common struggle for everyone and something that I believe
needs more attention.
There are resources out there but I believe that there is a need
to combine support for the family and the information that can be
used for direct action and treatment plans. The combination and
pooling of these resources is what I hope TEAM can do.”
Watch a video about Mackenzie’s story and more about TEAM.
Thornton (’11)
Blease
After graduating in May (2015) from Sarah Lawrence College, Thornton continued his education, pursuing a MFA in creative writing at
The New School in Manhattan, concentrating on Writing for Children and Young Adults. This past October, he was selected to attend the Rutgers Council on Children’s Literature One on One Plus
mentorship program. He is working on a picture book and has
completed two first draft novels: an early Middle Grade novel set in
Feudal Japan based off a Ninja Cat comic he designed and a Middle Grade Novel set in a dragon world which began as a screenwriting conference project.
Janelle (’10)
Kendell
Janelle just started her last year at the University of Calgary, and
will graduate in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology, specialization in Mind Sciences. During her time in university, she has
taken many courses on physiology, anatomy, neuroscience, and
psychology, as well as continuing with Mandarin Chinese and Philosophy, which she began (and loved!) at Stanford OHS.
While completing her degree, Janelle has been working full time
as a sales representative for a few cycling related lines—Shimano
components and Pearl Izumi apparel. This allows her to do a bit of
traveling, to California and Colorado for National Sales Meetings,
and across the US and Canada for international trade shows. She
also has a second job teaching art (mainly painting) classes to kids
at a local studio. She hope to take some time off after university,
and do some traveling before applying to med school (her career
goals fall into either Sports Medicine or some type of surgery).
Other than school, Janelle has had the chance to travel with family to Hawaii and Vancouver Island during the past year. She has
also started to race in cycling events more seriously, and completed several road races this summer, including one 3 day stage race.
The races can be grueling (80–150km long), but she loves the training and camaraderie involved in cycling. She is currently interviewing potential teams to race for next season. In the fall, she raced in
Cyclocross races with her little brother and dad—CX is a European style event where racers must navigate tricky technical courses
with mud, hills, stairs, sand, and barriers.
Janelle’s years since Stanford OHS have been spent with family
and friends, hiking, skiing, traveling, riding bikes, learning, growing,
practicing yoga, paddle boarding, laughing, playing music, meditating, painting, and loving life in general.
Thornton at his graduation in May 2015.
Janelle and her family.
Livingston
Martin (’10)
Livingston received his B.A. in Biology in May 2014 from Whitman
College, a wonderful, small liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. There, he took all the pre-med coursework with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician. His senior year thesis research
was about bacteriophage therapy, which entails using a type of virus to kill pathogenic bacteria in a way that avoids the bacterial resistance encountered with antibiotics. Livingston presented his results at two conferences in the Pacific Northwest.
After graduating, he took a gap year to explore additional interest in computer science. He moved to Seattle and took an accelerated JavaScript vocational training course in web app development. Livingston currently has a job based in Austin, as a technical
product manager for an online anesthesiologist/CRNA job board.
In January 2015, Livingston began the extensive application process for medical school. This meant prepping and taking the MCAT,
soliciting letters of recommendation, completing the AMCAS and
TMDSAS applications and answering the subsequent deluge of
secondary essays for each medical school. He is now in the interview phase of the process, which stretches from now until the end
of February 2016. He has been kept pretty busy with his job, prepping and flying to interviews, and reading any medical books and
journals he can get his hands on. Looking to the future, he plans on
matriculating somewhere in Fall 2016, spending four years to get
an M.D., then spending four to five more years in residency training
before entering practice in 2025! Livingston was recently accepted
to medical school at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center,
in Lubbock Texas.
Martin today.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 19 GETTING TO
THE NEXT 10!
ANNUAL FUND UPDATE
BY FRIDA KUMAR & JOHNATHAN ROBERTSON, ANNUAL FUND CO-CHAIRS
The Stanford OHS Annual Fund campaign is in full swing! A
heartfelt thank you to all who have joined the campaign—the
momentum is building! Our progress over the past six weeks
has been very encouraging. The end of December brings our
active campaign period to a close. We trust that our supportive community of OHS families and friends will come through
during the big final push to year’s end.
More importantly, let’s take a look at participation levels!
OHS
FAMILIES
INSTRUCTORS
& STAFF
29%
39%
As of Monday, December 7, our community has raised over
$134,000.
$134,000 OF
$300,000 GOAL
As you know, one of the primary goals for this campaign is
participation by all of our families. Why, you ask? Not only
is a high level of participation motivating to our faculty, staff
and students, but to the University and outside funders, it is
essential proof that our school has the unwavering support
of our community.
45%
$0
$60,000
$120,000
$180,000
$240,000
$300,000
Of the $134K of giving—34% is new or increased giving.
$134K is 45% of goal.
$46,000
NEW & INCREASED GIFTS
34%
$48,000
RENEWING GIFTS
36%
$40,000
MATCH EARNED
30%
20 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
For this year’s campaign, we’ve highlighted the role that the
Annual Fund plays in closing the funding gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating each child. Fundraising
is an important part of sustaining the quality and diversity of
programs at Stanford OHS. As the school enters its next decade, we aim to prove it can rely on the continued support of
a committed community.
As you embark on your year-end planning, please consider
your gift to The Next 10! to help us reach our goals.
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO THE FAMILIES OF
THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS FOR THEIR GENEROUS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STANFORD OHS ANNUAL FUND.
Mega Pixel = $10,000 & up
Pixel Premium = $5,000 – $9,999
Pixel Power = $2,500 – $4,999
Gina Kumar
Peyton Robertson
Anna Stoneman
Laura Rouse
Grace Sewell
Ellis Capp
Austin Gumins
Matthew Nugent
Sarah Pertsemlidis
Pixel Partner = $1,000 –$2,499
Hannah Agwunobi
Sean Anderson
Yoonji & Yongtak Chung
Theodore & Audrey Dutcher
Truman & Ava Giles
Madelyn Hurwitz
Kira & Ariana Hofelmann
Emre Kivanc
Hyungjoon Lee
Joseph Liu
Rodrigo Madero Murillo
Avery McCall
Anthony Mosavi
Benjamin Syiek
Rilla Taylor
Tarun Singh
Alexis Tan
Chloe Tsang
Alex Trubey
Alexandra Worthington
Anonymous (2)
Pixel Pride = $1 – $999
Asma Ali
Kaity Cripe
Thyra-Lilija, Ingrid &
Parker Damon
Ivan Altunin
Matthew Dupree
James Anderson
Melissa Eder
Eshan Arora
Hanne & Eric Enlow
Anna Ascheman
Graham Estelle
Macalister Bagwell
Daniel Foster
Lilly Bar
Milutin Gjaja
Sophie Basarrate
Eleanor Graham
Niamh-Marie Batstone
Cameron Gray
Peri & Corbin Beckerman Alexander Greenberg
Nathaniel & Cameron
Eva Guevara
Beckman
Fiona Hall
David Botana
Maxwell Hamilton
Caroline Bragg
Max Hammond
Daniel Branstetter
Hagan Hensley
Susanna & Isabella Brotchie Jordan Hickey
Vincent Bugni
Gabrielle Humphreys
Ian Cheung
Sage Hurta
Krishna Chittur
Haun Jung
Maria Kaltchenko
Vedika Kanchan
Manisha Koneru
Christian Kuhn
Robert Kwong
Susannah Lahiri
Aiden Largay
Jacob Leeman
Kayla Leung
Matthew Li
Wesley & Alicia Lo
Pierce Lowry
Ivy Mach
Nicolas Martin
Alicia Medina
Mack Meller
Jocelyn Mesham
Jack Moriarty
Caterina, Chiara &
Antonia Mrose
Kyler Natividad
Jose Nolla
Miranda & Miranda Nover
Hannah Oh
Emre Onal
Aditi Patil
Isaac Perper
Zahra Petiwala
Christine Piazza
James Plumleigh
Jacob Polatty
Dylan Polley
Nicole Reed
Jonathan Saitta
Sinclaire Schaefer
Jackson Scott
Paul Sion
Warren & Campbelle
Smith
Alessandra Sozzi
Amy Spruill
Jeremy Tang
Sonia Tartakovsky
Alexandra Tett
Cedar Turek
Abney Turner
Gabriel Ure
Benjamin Vogel
Daniel Wallick
Rachel & Miriam Wallstrom
Julia Waxman
Jacob Williamson
Hannah Wirth
Faizah Wulandana
Katie Yan
Thea Yang
Haley Yao
Daniela Zaks
Anonymous (11)
LISTING AS OF 12/8/15
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 21 Student News
EDITED BY CODY SNAPP
Campbell Wins the 2015
American Prize in Voice
Gwyneth Campbell (2016), is the 2015 winner of The American Prize
in Voice—Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award, in the high
school opera division. Gwyneth was selected from applications reviewed this summer from all across the United States. The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit, competitions unique in
scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best
performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States
based on submitted recordings.
“I am thrilled to be chosen as
the winner of The American Prize
in Voice Friedrich & Virginia Schorr
Memorial Award for 2015, in the
high school opera division. Winning the prize is such an encouragement to me, and I am sure
that my teacher Maria Lyudko
from the St. Petersburg Conservatory and Elizabeth Heuermann
from the New York Lyric Opera will
be pleased with this result,” said
Gwyneth on accepting the prize.
8th Grader Awarded
High Point Trophy
Storrie Kulynych-Irvin (2020), is a year-round swimmer for the Naval Academy Aquatic club and also a triathlete. During the summer she raced in
and won a number
of youth triathlons
across
Maryland
and was awarded
the high point trophy for the Maryland Youth Triathlon series.
STORRIE (ON RIGHT) BEING
AWARDED THE HIGH POINT
MEDAL IN AUGUST.
22 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
OHSer Develops
Online Tutoring Site
Remember the last time you stayed up all night studying for your
calculus test, or toiled over your physics homework? What you
needed was someone you can call on instantly for help in the middle of the night. That’s where Sloth Tutoring comes in.
In her sophomore year at the OHS, Megan Gessner (2016) created the “Physics Sloth” tutoring group, where she organized group
study sessions for tests, and answered middle-of-the-night questions. It seemed like a lot of people loved having that resource, and
she loved having such an impact on her community. This year she
decided to bring the idea back.
Megan has been working with her dad (a computer programmer) to design the site and program for students at the OHS (and
outside the OHS) to use. “Sloth Tutoring” is an online tutoring site
created for for high school and college students in math, physics,
chemistry, and computer science.
“It helps to be able to ask your question when the subject is fresh,
even if right now is 2am. Anyone who knows me knows I have a
passion for physics and math, a love of tutoring, and a slight obsession with sloths. I combined all of the above for this project–
helping students succeed in fields that inspire me every day while
simultaneously raising money to benefit the Sloth Sanctuary of
Costa Rica,” explains Megan.
Anyone who is interested can check the site out at
www.slothtutoring.com. The site will be live in December.
Muller Wins Film Contest
with Drone Video
Quinn Muller (2019) was thrilled to discover that his documentary
he shot last year during his adventure in Tanzania won first place in
the “Student” category at the Flying Robot International Film Festival. His documentary, Electric Africa was shot during his father’s five
week contract working for his solar energy company Off-Grid Electric. Once Quinn learn of the contest he reviewed all of his footage
from the Africa trip that was taken with a Phantom 2 Vision+ drone
and a DSLR camera. Quinn says he spent 3–4 hours a day for the
next week in his room putting the film together that captured Off-
Share your
news with us!
Find out how
on pg. 26!
Grid Electric and the incredible,
eye-opening experience he was
able to have there. He submit the documentary into both the Student and Drones for Good categories.
Unfortunately he wasn’t able attend the screening but he did
film and sent in his
acceptance speech
standing on top of
the fancy, new OffGrid Electric headquarters. Watch his
acceptance speech
on YouTube.
Click to Watch
From the OHSPA
BY GINA CHAFFIN (OHSPA VP) & SUSAN SMITH (OHSPA SECRETARY)
Parent Coffee Talks
IN THE FALL OF 2014, the Stanford OHS
Parent Association (OHSPA) began hosting Parent Coffee Talks in an effort to widen
our vibrant community. These unrecorded
informal gatherings held in Adobe Connect
were originally meant to reach parents who
could not attend the OHSPA Monthly Meetings due to the time difference and were
geographically isolated from other OHS
families. The OHSPA Officers recruited the
Regional Coordinators to co-host the first
Parent Coffee Talks, and together, we simply had casual conversations about the
OHS experience. These events led families
to interact with one another online and, ultimately, to meet face-to-face; exactly what
we had hoped for!
We have continued to host Parent Coffee Talks for another purpose: to address
particular topics that we confront in our
unique online environment. In the 20142015 school year, we hosted four events
(two in the fall and two in January) based
on geography: US/Europe/Middle East/Africa/India and US/Asia/South America/
Australia, where we discussed general topics such as exam logistics and socialization. Last April and May, we hosted two coffee talks (for parents of middle school and
high school students) on developing student self-sufficiency, identifying talents,
and long-term preparation for college.
Parents of OHS seniors generously shared
their students’ academic journeys from
middle school to graduation.
Join the
OHSPA
Parent
Forum
We’ve hosted three Parent Coffee Talks
so far this school year: Unsupported Technology & Best Practices for all OHS parents
(September), Regional Coordinator Training for our new Regional Coordinators (October), and Discussion for Parents of OHS
Seniors (November). Please join us for the
next Parent Coffee Talk in January (date
TBD) that will focus on Record Keeping &
Homeschool Transcripts and Resources.
Also, watch the Pixel Weekly and the OHSPA Forum for dates for upcoming events,
including the popular long-term college
preparation event in April 2016.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 • OHS CONNECTION 23 Student Views
Letter From the Student Body President
BY EMMA DREWRY (2016)
I WAS THIRTEEN WHEN I STARTED OHS, joined Student Govern-
and school-wide superlatives that
ment, and decided that one day, I’d be Student Body President. I'm
will be featured in this year’s year-
fortunate enough now to be writing to you at seventeen, as OHS’s
book, a five-day virtual scaven-
Student Body President after four years in Student Government.
ger hunt, Homecoming Court elec-
I’ll admit— it hasn’t always been easy. Any student or teacher or
tions, and an assembly highlighting
parent can detail the challenges we face as members of our unique
the amazing members of our commu-
community. We are separated by distance, divided by borders and
nity. This isn’t even a full list of what we’ve
oceans, and limited by our online nature. Yet, we have built a com-
accomplished in the last two months, and there’s so much more in
munity of passionate and caring students, and through that com-
store, so many new ways to get involved coming your way. So get
munity, we are able to form friendships that have transcended dis-
ready. It’s going to be amazing.
tance and will surely stand the test of time.
I want to close this letter with a promise to you all. I’m sadly com-
It is with this community in mind that Student Government
ing to the end of my five-year career at OHS, no longer the shy thir-
works, and with a dedication to building the strongest community
teen year old who lost her election speech and showed up for her
possible. We understand the challenges ahead of us, but we know
first class knowing no one. This school, this community, has given
that the strength of our community far outweighs our limitations.
me and many others so impossibly much, in friendships and ex-
In the last four years, I’ve seen projects fail and enthusiasm waver;
periences that have shaped who we are. It is unique and powerful
I’ve seen Student Government work together and seen us in utter
and wonderful, and I have an ineffable debt to pay to this school. I
discord; I’ve seen us overcome challenges and seen us succumb
promise I will spend the rest of my time here attempting to pay it. I
to them. And I have never been prouder to be a member than I
hope you’ll join me and get involved this year—whether it’s through
am this year, because this year’s Student Government has worked
Student Government, clubs, or participating in upcoming events.
harder and accomplished more than any other before.
This community is incredible, and it’s stronger when we all con-
At a staggering forty-seven members, we are larger and more inclusive than ever. Together, we’ve accomplished so much, from
our own Canvas page to our first school-wide event, from individual class events to the massive collaboration that is Spirit Week,
which this year included not just themed Spirit Days, but class-
tribute.
I’ll stop being sappy now. Feel free to contact me at any time with
any questions or ideas for Student Government.
Here’s to a great year,
EMMA X
2015–16 STUDENT GOVERNMENT
LIST INCLUDES ELECTED AND UNELECTED MEMBERS
Alex Yeoh • Alexis Tan • Ana De Ramos • Anisha Oomen
Anna Stoneman • Aria Lorenz • Aryanna Chutkan
Ashley DiCristofalo • Bassel El-Rewini • Belle Lim • CJ Nave
Corbin Beckerman • Cyrus Crockett • David Shuster • Draco Fishbein
Eleanor Graham • Elena Gonzalez • Emma Drewry
Faizah Wulandana • Fatima Rahim • Gabe Ure • Gina Kumar
Grace Sewell • Holly McCann • Ivy Mach • Jango McCormick
Julia Wang • Kate Joss-Bradley • Kayla Leung • Krystle DiCristofalo
Kuunal Makhija • Laura Rouse • Luke Kwong • Natalie LeBaron
Nicolas Machado • Olga Aristova • Patricia Fitzgerald
Peri Beckerman • Ricky Grannis-Vu • RJ Atwal • Sean Anderson
Shriya Jain • Sylvana Domokos • Tej Singh
Thyra-Lilja Altunin • Victoria Franco • Vishnu Srinivasa
24 OHS CONNECTION • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Ant encased in amber [Max Hamilton]
Science
Happens
BY KIM FAILOR
Sharing Science
Studying BirA at MIT
[Anne Blythe Davis]
Over the course of three Fridays in September and October,
students from across OHS gathered to hear about the scientific research conducted by their fellow Pixels. Each presenter did an amazing job of representing diverse interests and
approaches. In case you missed any of the events, recordings
are available: September 4, September 25, and October 2.
And if you’re craving even more science or feel inspired to
present your own, the annual OHS Science Fair will take place
on Friday, January 15 in Adobe Connect. Proposals to present were due December 7, but feel free to email Dr. Failor prior to Winter Break if you are interested.
Extracting bacterial metabolites
[Vishnu Srinivasa]
Measuring bacterial resistance to metal toxicity [Rose Gellman]
Gravid Spotted Turtle
(Clemmys guttata)
[Margaret McGuire]
Mutating beta-glucosidase B [Shruthi Sukir]
Diabetic
Retinopathy app
development
[Mahati Potharaju]
Gear stages
[Rohit Narayanana]
Predictive modeling of the gut microbiome [Adarsh Ramchandran]
Detecting sexual dimorphism in
sea otters [Vikram Venkatram]
Reflection pattern in
Organic LED [Leo Panish]
Contribute to
OHS Connection
SHARE YOUR NEWS
Students, we’d love to share news of your endeavors and
accomplishments beyond the classroom with our community in
future issues of the OHS Connection. We invite your submissions
whenever you have something interesting to share. To be
included in the next issue, please submit your news to OHS
Communications: [email protected].
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Do you have a piece of artwork that you would like to share with
the OHS community? Please send us your photography, paintings,
drawings, and digital art, and your work will be highlighted in our
next issue. To submit your artwork, send high resolution photos
or scans to our graphic designer, with your name, title of your
piece, and medium used. Send submissions to Stephanie Griffin:
[email protected].
BACK COVER
YOUNG CHAN KIM,
CLOCKWORK FLIGHT,
MIXED MEDIA
FRONT COVER
ANNE BLYTHE DAVIS,
EGRET,
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY