Every year, many seniors join the scholars program to further develop their knowledge of a desired subject. There are three different scholar programs: STEM, Global, and Literary. With these three programs, seniors can research anything related to math, science, history/social studies, or literature. When they are juniors, they apply to the program in their second semester and work over the summer to develop a project plan. The STEM Scholars are advised by Dr. Higgins and Mr. LeBris, the Global scholars by Mr. Haynes and Mrs. Yavenditti, and the Literary scholars by Mrs. Doran. This year, the Class of 2025 has been working hard on their projects and will be presenting them at the Scholar Symposium on Tuesday, April 22nd at 6:30 pm. While you can listen to everyone’s projects there, here is a little sneak peek into some of the scholar’s projects in this article!
I am a STEM scholar, and I am making biodiesel from different types of cooking oil, and seeing how efficient each fuel will be compared to standard diesel fuel. So far, I have attempted to make fuel from used FLIK cooking oil, canola oil, and olive oil. My goal is to help alleviate the effects of climate change and prove that biofuel is just as powerful and efficient, if not more, than standard diesel. Once I obtain calorimetry data (seeing how much power is created from burning) from my fuel, I have been working with Lena Olbrys to calculate how fast a 1:8 scale car will move depending on the fuel. She has created a carbon dioxide canister engine, and we will then compare its performance to that of my fuel. Unfortunately, we were denied the ability to burn my fuel on the back of the car due to a fire hazard (how sad).
STEM Scholar Maggie Fleuette has been working on a squash serve simulator and finding how the trajectory of a squash ball changes based on its temperature. She is trying to determine how temperature affects the ball’s trajectory by measuring the coefficient of restitution (COR). She measures the COR by launching a ball from a compressed air launcher to ensure precise trials, measuring the velocity using PASCO photogates, and doing a lot of math!
STEM Scholar Isabela Orsatti is studying chemicals banned from foods in Europe but still legal in the United States. She is extracting her cheek cells, submerging the chemicals in them, and trying to see if the cells’ DNA gets damaged. She is incubating the chemicals and cells and looking at them under a digital microscope.
STEM Scholars Eric Milar, Matheo Picon, and Jack Clavelli are making a mask with chemical filtration inside to filter carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is unhealthy for the body to inhale and is prevalent in the air in third-world countries. Their goal is to successfully filter a measurable amount of carbon monoxide from car exhaust. So far, they have synthesized copper manganese oxide, a chemical catalyst for filtering carbon monoxide, and have built an exhaust collection device which they just completed. Most recently, they used their catalyst to successfully filter the carbon monoxide from car exhaust.
Global Scholar Maddie Winarsky is researching, “Navigating the Covid-19 Policies that Reshaped the Landscape of Ex-Patriots Tourism and the Economies of Hong Kong and China. She is trying to look at the trends of tourism and see the change in demographics and economies and how they have recovered since COVID. Also, she is looking into the future and determining if it will hold more or less ex-patriots and examining the past’s successful strategies that can be used again.
Global Scholar Cassie Cui has been working on her project, “Implications of Limited English Proficiency on Workplace Integration and for Non-English Speaking Migrant Workers: Comparison of the USA and UK. She is aiming to learn about workplace policy and social inclusion, and how people who speak little English integrate into the workplace.
Literary Scholar Ella Thomas is researching William Butler Yeats the Irish Occult, and the loss of Irish Identity. She is fascinated by the subject and wants to learn more through literature about the process of keeping a culture alive.
Literary Scholar Selia Sitzer is delving into the homosocial female influence in Sylvia Plath’s life and writings. She enjoys learning about the roots and intricacies of Plath’s distinctive tone and how the nature of homosocial female relationships in 1950s America can bear the lacerating edge that is often associated with her poetry.
Scholars’ Projects are the results of lots of trial and error, sweat, and tears. Each year, seniors work tirelessly to ensure their project is a representation of all they have done throughout the year. Hopefully, the insight into these projects inspires you either start your own scholars project when you can. You can also come to the Scholars Symposium on Tuesday, April 22nd at 6:30 pm to watch the presentations for these projects, and more!