Culture

EHS says farewell to Mr. Hunt and Ms. Davidson

LEANA GREENE Production Editor

You may know him as the man whose class is at the corner of the hallway or the man who writes inccredibly elaborate mathematical proofs. To me and many

of the students who have him as their teacher, he is well-known for his math prowess and eclectic tie collection. He is the chair of the Mathematics Department - Mr. Michael Hunt. Having taught at the school for fourteen years, Mr. Hunt has devoted his all into teaching his several BC Calculus and Plane Trigonometry classes. Students walking into his room are always greeted with a beaming smile before sitting down for a thorough, complete lesson plan. Besides becoming one of EHS’ most beloved teachers, Mr. Hunt was a part of the United States Coast Guard for twentyfive years. He commanded two ships and a shore unit during his time in the service. Regarding that tie collection, students can expect everything from cartoons and wild patterns to math-themed offerings. Mr. Hunt’s favorite ties are holiday themed. When the holidays come around, Charlie Brown, The Grinch, and snowmen come on display. For Valentine’s Day, pink and red hearts draw your eyes. During the month of March, green fourleaf clovers promise good luck from his diverse repertoire. Mr. Hunt will be greatly missed by the EHS community. He has left a lasting reputation of success and cameraderie within the Math Department.

Mr. Hunt stands proudly with his festive ties. Left, Valentine’s Day hearts. Above, around the world with his “It’s a Small World” tie. Photos by Leana Greene.

LEANA GREENE Production Editor

Every year members of the studentled organization Diversity in Action can participate in a week-long conference called the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). SDLC is a worldwide conference led primarily by students from all backgrounds with the purpose of helping young people “develop crosscultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of networking principles” (SDLC). This year, Chandler Hollis ‘23, Anayla Wilson ’23, Raigan Clay ‘23, Breylan Thompson ‘24, Ethan Lahoti ’25, and Isabelle Song ’25 attended the conference, which was virtual because of covid precautions. Hollis and Clay addressed the community in Chapel about their experience and lessons learned. Both felt a new sense of belonging. While they know there is a whole world out there to experience, the conference was a nice reassurance among others like them. Ethan Lahoti had the opportunity to attend the SDLC during a chaotic time of his first midterms at EHS but would not take back the experience for anything. He got to meet people from “different races and cultures from all around the world” to discuss struggles and achievement regarding diversity in their communities. He explored his own identity and how he wants to define himself in the world. He would like to challenge everyone to consider and live by the SDLC’s 2021 motto: “Believing and belonging in our schools; Reckoning with injustice; Reconciling with love.” Admission Director and DIA advisor Ms. Spooner took part in the People of Color Conference, which aims to guide faculty and staff in supporting students of diverse backgrounds on campus and in the classroom. Ms. Spooner encourages students to participate in SDLC because it “gives the students a unique opportunity to meet other students from across the country and have authentic conversations about who they are.”

MORGAN HEROD

Staff Writer

Episcopal High School teachers are a crucial part of the campus community, and it is sad when one of the faculty ends his or her time at EHS. With their departure, it is important to recognize the good memories they have created during their time here. Ms. Alice Davidson, a beloved history teacher at EHS for 32 years, says that her most cherished memory while working at Episcopal was seeing all three of her daughters graduate. She has also enjoyed visiting China with students several times during Interim Term. Every day, she looks forward to seeing her students, who she says are always in a good mood and ready to learn and discuss. She appreciates hearing them say “thank you” at the end of every class period and enjoys their constant optimism toward class. During her time at Episcopal High School the biggest lesson her students have taught her is patience.

Over the next couple of years, Ms. Davidson hopes to play the harp. When she was a student in high school, she was never able to afford one. In November, she found a company based in Pakistan that sold the instruments at an affordable cost. She ordered one and had it shipped to Houston. She says that she is going to practice frequently and travel to the “stans” (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) when covid is no longer around. She will miss her students and the daily conversations she has with them about their lives. She will miss her colleagues and her routine of going to work. She finds fulfillment daily, watching as her students ‘get’ a concept. Ms. Davidson teaches one of her World History I class- She loves the es. Photo courtesy of Karma Elbadawy. gratification of knowing that her explanation has made something easier for a student. Ms. Davidson will be missed dearly, and Episcopal High School is very appreciative of her undeniably, hard work and commitment to the school, the students, and its mission.

Linear Algebra: An Episcopal math class of the next degree

CHRIS LAHOTI

Editor-in-Chief

As part of the four-pillar system, Episcopal High School has consistently exemplified the ability to provide each and every student with an academic plan replete with challenges and growing opportunities. Students are given the chance to pursue any subject to the fullest extent while still maintaining a well-rounded academic portfolio, and graduate with several AP and honors classes under their belts. Yet, in more recent years, a certain few completed an accelerated path in the honors math curriculum. For them, EHS offered a taste of college-level math: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations Post AP course. Math teacher Dr. Joanna Papakonstantinou created the course and has led the instruction each year since its first offering in 2015. The course provides these select few students a rigorous experience in higher-level math. The current class consists of seniors Christophe Merriam, Karma Elbadawy, Craig Choi, Zack Donovan, and Chris Lahoti. The course provides an introduction to linear algebra and differential equations, with each topic split into the course of a semester. Combining principles from previous years, students engage in problem solving, deductive reasoning, and proving mathematical theorems in a collaborative, innovative setting. Covered topics include matrix analysis, ordinary differential equations, and creating mathematical models of real word applications. As a supplement to in-class instruction, the students have learned programming languages like MATLAB, a programming and numeric computing platform used by millions of engineers and scientists in industry and academia to analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models. Additionally, the class has attended several math seminars and traveled to Rice University to participate in its Data 2 Knowledge showcase. The students had opportunities to engage with undergraduate and graduate students, professors, and industry professionals about the practical application of their knowledge to relevant social and economic issues. Senior Christophe Merriam said that “this class has been challenging but really fun as well as very eye-opening to what to expect in college and beyond. I am very fortunate to have been given this unique opportunity.”