Senior Projects
09 18 GOOD FRIEND D RIVE EA ST H A MPTON, NEW YORK 11937 TEL: 631-907-5000 WWW.ROSS.ORG
The Senior Projects at Ross School embody student passions and reflect the emphasis we place on relationships with mentors and teachers. The finished projects represent the culminations of a course of study guided by the Spiral Curriculum, so that the senior understands his/her work in a global, historical context. The projects are presented in a public forum so that the School and local community can be involved in the process and interact significantly with the seniors. Personally, I could not be prouder of the work these students produce—it is a flowering of a curriculum and everything I dreamed it would be. – Courtney Sale Ross, Ross School Founder
The Senior Project is the culmination of a student’s learning experience at Ross School. In executing the Senior Project, students embody their passions through a process and product that integrates such Ross School principles as multiple intelligences, cultural/ historical context, personal reflection, application of technology and pursuit of excellence. At the conclusion of the Senior Project, students should have deeper insight into themselves as learners and producers.
The Class of 2009 is passionate about having an impact on the world around them. Fundraisers to support charitable international organizations, scientific inquiries into renewable energy, and in-depth studies of immigration and culture are just some of the products reflective of this. Please join us in a look at this year’s diverse and creative Senior Projects. – Devon Parkes, Senior Project Coordinator
Arlis Andon Our Room Mentor Jennifer Cross Outside Consultant David Geiser I wrote and illustrated a children's book for my Senior Project. The narrative is from the perspective of a room in the house my great grandfather built. It borrows the idea "if only these walls could talk.� The story begins in 1927 and ends in 2008 when we moved. Our Room follows five generations of one family through their activities and growth. A few historical references create a time frame. Using popular music and games of the period, I tried to invoke a vintage atmosphere. These observations are made by the room, demonstrating that it has its own character and personal tastes. This story is meaningful to my family and the generations to come.
Allison Bauser Conservation and Destruction of Coral Reefs Mentor Patricia Lein Outside Consultants Joseph Yauillo, Dr. Cindy Lee, Timothy Dykman My Senior Project was to educate people about the changing environment and how it has an effect on coral reefs. It's mostly a scientific activist project. I built a coral reef tank and wrote three essays. The essays are about the biology of corals, destruction of corals and conservation of corals. The main reason I chose to study coral reefs is because I read articles about corals and their decline. I wanted to know more about these odd creatures and spread the news about their recession.
Spencer Boehm Caesar and The Great Train of Thought Mentor Urban Reininger Outside Consultant Amy Wright Caesar and The Great Train of Thought is a video game constructed in Adobe Flash CS3, using the latest Flash programming language Actionscript 3.0. My goal was to create a simple and enjoyable experience through Flash, a media platform considered by many as inadequate for developing games. The premise of the game is to navigate through a series of disjointed scenarios and locations that are linked together as the coaches of a train. As a medium, video games have captured my attention since early childhood: the ability to combine audio and visual arts into a single, interactive platform holds near-infinite potential as both an entertaining and intellectual experience.
1
Vesna Bozic Chocolate! Mentor Carrie Clark Outside Consultant Miche Bacher For my Senior Project, I learned about the history of chocolate and its fair trade aspect. I learned to make chocolate with my outside consultant Miche Bacher, who works in Greenport. It was with her that I created my own "signature truffles." I created a book that consists of various recipes and short essays on the history of fair trade.
Skylar Braun Holistic Home Mentor Urban Reininger Outside Consultant Lucas Cowart As the end of junior year approached I began my internship at the office of Stelle Architects in Bridgehampton. Looking to enhance my first architectural endeavor, my father hired Stelle Architects to do the renovation for our new house on Scuttle Hole Road. Fred Stelle put me on the job with Lucas Cowart, who quickly became my mentor and confidant. After completing and distributing the new floor plans for framing, in addition to the design of a pool house that would accommodate solar panels used for heating the pool, I moved onto a new project. I was asked to design an environmentally friendly home of around 4,000 square feet, and took this as an opportunity to also work on my Senior Project. I began with a design that takes advantage of everything the sun has to offer, incorporating passive solar heating and cooling. To accomplish this, I created an open floor plan with a south facing glass wall to absorb the sun, which would then be stored in thermal mass and distributed throughout the house. I wanted the house to represent something that I would call “home.” Accordingly, I designed the house with double height public spaces and loft bedrooms, two things that I would include in my own house. For my final product I built a three-dimensional model of the house and created floor plans, elevations, sections and multiple perspectives with Vectorworks 2008.
Julia Buonanno 2009 Ross School Senior Projects Mentor Jennifer Cross Outside Consultant Bill Hufstader For my Senior Project, I documented each individual student’s Senior Project. I collected short narratives of each student's project and compiled them with selected images and quotes into a catalog that was presented during Senior Projects Presentations. I learned how to master Adobe InDesign CS4. The book was tied together with a Scrabble board theme. The beginning of each paragraph starts with a Scrabble letter and the title was composed in the Scrabble style.
2
Laura Camargo See Like a Bee Mentor Hugh McGuinness Outside Consultant Bjorn Rorslett For my Senior Project, I conducted a study of the evolution of flower pollination. I used ultra violet photography as a medium to visualize the pollen patterns. I chose this project because photography has always been my passion, and I’ve always been intrigued by science and evolution. I found Bjorn Rorslett’s website where he had a lot of his work posted. Mr. Rorslett is a nature photographer who has worked with infrared and ultra violet lights. His photo essay using flowers and ultra violet filters were phenomenal. I found his work interesting, and it inspired me to figure out what the bright patterns on the flowers meant.
Ingrid Cardona Comida Para Los Niños de Colombia Mentor Jennifer Cross Outside Consultant Rosa Dios Ever since I was about 10 years old, I saw commercials on TV about kids around the world who were poor. I always wished to be wealthy and help all those children. Last year a lady told me, “You don’t have to be rich to help all those kids. You can do events and raise money to help them.” Her words inspired me this year and gave me the support I needed to create a fundraising event. The evening featured a dinner with ethnic food from Colombia, music by Deejay Double S (Samuel Santiago), and a variety of special silent auction items. The funds raised went to MADRE, a human rights organization benefiting women and children worldwide. This benefit specifically helped their efforts in preventing children from being forced into becoming child soldiers in Colombia, and allowing them to go to school and fulfill their dreams.
James Caputo From Pen to Plate Mentor Alexis Martino Outside Consultant Jon Snow My photo essay explores the practices of local, traditional and sustainable foods on the East End. I examined the culture and practices of raising and producing one's own source of food. In the photo essay, I document the processes and people involved in getting the animals, essentially, from pen to plate. Along with the images, I included cooking recipes for each of the animals photographed in order to establish a link between the animals and the food we consume. My goal is to leave the audience thinking about what they eat and where their food comes from.
3
Alex Collier Algae Biofuel Mentor Carlton Schade Outside Consultant Barley J Dunne For my Senior Project I utilized algae to extract bio diesel. First, I grew a large amount of algae with a high lipid content (fat oils), and then I filtered it through a 10micron filter to extract just the algae from the base water it grew in. From there I extracted the oil using the hexane extraction solvent method in which a catalyst of sodium hydroxide and hexane are combined to separate the oil from the bodies of the algae. Lastly, I let this mixture distill, allowing the oil to rise to the top, leaving the hexane on the bottom and the catalyst disappeared. I drained just the oil, then further refined the mulch the same way regular bio diesel is refined from waste vegetable oil. This includes straining the mixture to further remove particles and extracting glycerin.
Jasper Creegan Canonize Me Mentor Shelby Raebeck Outside Consultant Mark Nelson For my Senior Project I studied the literary canon and what it means to canonize a novel. I established my own criteria for what makes a novel great. Shelby Raebeck, my mentor, had me read both analytical essays and fictional novels to help me establish myself as a reader. I drew influence from E. M. Forster, Henry James, Aristotle, James Baldwin and Harold Bloom. My final product is a series of essays covering everything from the history of the canon, the canonical debate, my criteria for the greatness of a novel, defining the novel and a conclusion. I also referenced the great novels Shelby had me read in order to convey my ideas with concrete examples.
Erin Dickerson The Healing Power of Horses Mentor Marty Cooper Outside Consultants Nancy King and Amanda Ross I researched the ways in which therapeutic horseback riding helps people with various disabilities, both emotionally and physically. I visited two different barns for comparison. I also created a book showing the benefits of therapeutic horsemanship and used photography to document the different techniques that can be used. My inspiration for this project was my cousin, who is involved in a therapy program and is making great progress.
4
Paige Diner Brazilian Fusion Mentors Debra McCall and Dale Scott Outside Consultant Sheryl Hastalis For my project I choreographed two Brazilian/modern dances. I used inspiration from my Winter Intersession trip last year to Bahia, Brazil where we studied AfroBrazilian music and dance. I absolutely loved the culture and was able to express myself through the movements and rhythms we learned. Because the Brazilian culture meant so much to me I decided to fuse it with the concept of dance that my project already focused on. I chose modern Brazilian music and incorporated the style of dance I learned along with the style of dance I already knew and loved. I learned a lot from choreographing a style of dance unfamiliar to me; it was challenging and beneficial for my mind and body. I practiced almost every day after school, either in the Movement Room, at Southampton Youth Services, or at my house. I also attended multiple ballet classes, which helped to prepare my body for the strength and flexibility necessary for my product.
Jonathan Dratel An Exploration, Lesson, and Ethnomusicology of Contemporary Cultural Rhythms Mentor Kenneth Sacks Outside Consultant Sophie Kobolakis For my senior project I chose ethnomusicology and explored the relatively unknown rhythm of the “Fume Fume,” a Ghanaian drum pattern. Within this rhythm I studied the technique, the different ways the rhythm is used, and the cultural importance it holds. I created a short ethnomusicology of the rhythm, combining personal research, interviews and other information gathered from various sources. From my paper and product, my goal became teaching an African drumming class. I also studied an Indian form of drumming, and incorporated it into my project. By doing so, I had another rhythm to compare to the “Fume Fume,” as well as a broader understanding of musical importance within the context of a culture. I chose to do this project because I have always been interested in African drumming as well as performing new types of music. After consulting with my mentor, Kenneth Sacks, he informed me that “Fume Fume” is a relatively undocumented form of music that could use more exposure. This seemed like a good opportunity to create an ethnomusicology for a form of music that had not yet been explored in depth. My project also fits into the deep-rooted cultural ideas that Ross School encourages. Just as Ross School looks to educate its students on a broad sense of global community, so too do I seek to spread the influence of this special form of music.
5
James Fabrizio The Evolution of the Jazz Idiom from Trumbauer to Parker Mentor Adam Judd Outside Consultant Hal McKusick I wrote a paper on the evolution of the jazz saxophone solo and I also performed and recorded three jazz pieces that show the advancement of the jazz idiom from the 1920s through the 1950s by examining the solos of Frankie Trumbauer, Lester Young and Charlie Parker. I chose this project because I have played the saxophone for years and have a great interest in jazz. This project helped me take the knowledge I’ve gained from my teacher in my private lessons as well as the information I’ve read in books and listened to in recordings to enhance my skills in playing the saxophone, and my knowledge of jazz in general.
Angela Gay Deceit of the Honest Mentor Alexis Martino Outside Consultant Martha Stotzky My photo essay portrays an interpretation of biblical stories related to disobedience. The stories I chose are connected by my interest in the main character's motivation in each story. My passion is photography, but it was a curiosity in religion and belief systems that sparked my interest to further my knowledge of religion, thus helping to shape my opinion. I chose to focus on Christianity because it played a role in my upbringing and is familiar yet so unsubstantiated.
Brendan Guldi Faie Mentor Liz Dobbs Outside Consultant Eleni Prieston Hellenic civilization has left its mark on the world, with the rise of Ancient Greek city-states, the Hellenistic Age of Alexander the Great, and the Imperial Byzantine Empire. Having traced the culinary history of Greece I was surprised to learn the food I have been eating all my life is an embodiment of Greece's legacy. Greek gastronomy is credited among the three original cuisines, a crucible of the ideal location of Greece, and as the centre of the old world. This project culminates in personal, cultural, culinary and historical insights of Greece.
6
Charles Hoffman Untitled Mentor Mark Foard Outside Consultant Kurt Rheinheimer I wrote detective fiction for my Senior Project. My research consisted of two branches. The first branch encompassed an in depth analysis of works by the two great masters of the American detective novel, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. The second branch was less comprehensive and more sporadic but was as equally fulfilling as the first. It covered content ranging from reading The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges to reading Watchmen, the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore.
Evelyn Hoffmann Through My Hands: A Footnote to Life Mentor Kimble Humiston Outside Consultant Donna Molin I created a multidisciplinary project based on the theme of seasonal change. The musical portion of the project is a cycle of 12 piano songs that reflect time, freedom and moments spent with friends and family. I created a cover for the piano compositions based on the Greek statue of Nike and a work by the 20th century artist Wassily Kandinsky entitled Improvisation. The colors in the cover piece are the visual representation of seasonal change reflected in the cycle of the musical compositions. In an introductory manuscript, I discussed my approach to the project and the influence of Kandinsky's theories on the relationship between music and art.
Taylor Hoge Lower East Side: A Historical and Social Overview Mentor Matthew Aldredge Outside Consultant Andrew Meyers I chose this topic for my Senior Project because I knew a great amount of historical background about New York City, although I still was unsure about certain areas of the city, such as the Lower East Side, which has seen so much change within the last few years. Not only is it one of the most rapidly transforming neighborhoods in New York, it also remains one of the most historical and integrated portions of the city. I created a book that shows various pictures of the Lower East Side from the 1850s all the way up to current changes due to gentrification. I also focused on creating a unification collage of various menus from all the neighborhood restaurants that show the diversity of this small area. The images are personal photographs and pictures that I was able to gather from the Internet.
7
Kirsten Judson Nostalgia Mentor Therese Lichtenstein Outside Consultants Alicia Longwell, Susan Ecker Inspired by the movement of abstract expressionism, proto pop and feminist art, my Senior Project is a reflection of the post World War II art movement. Through the influences of Jasper Johns and Kiki Smith I discovered the use of collage and mixed mediums that allows me to continuously shift between the conceptual and the literal, the political and the personal, and the abstractly metaphorical. My work focuses on the theme of nostalgia. It embodies the fragility of life through themes of lost youth, romance and melancholy. Investigating the vast territory of the human body and repressed memories, “Nostalgia� is a framework for the metaphysical, personally introspective, and broadly multi-interpretational. Along with my art pieces I wrote prose poems to express the themes of my art. I also wrote a thesis on abstract expressionism, Jasper Johns, Kiki Smith and their connection to my art. Through research on the history and techniques of these artists I developed my own personal style. In my art, I try to convey the oppression of societal ideologies and reveal the choice people have to either critically analyze these principals or be subsumed by them.
Laura Lemus Digital Photography Mentor Kerry Sharkey-Miller Outside Consultant Martha Stotzky Using digital photography, I took photographs of women from different cultures to compare and contrast them back-to-back. My images focus on the strength of women, where they've been, what they've been through, where they are now and where they are going. All of this contributes to their role as women in their societies and how they feel in their cultures. I interviewed my subjects to gain more personal information so that I could convey their past in my photographs. My final product is a set of photographs. The interview information and photographs have been made into a book.
8
Antonia Lenzer Canine Temperament Testing Relating to Adoption Mentor Patricia Lein Outside Consultant Melissa Tiska The focus of my project was to understand the nature of temperament training and testing and their purposes in ensuring the healthy adoption of animals into families. I worked with Melissa Tiska, an adoption coordinator at ARF, on assessing the temperament of dogs at the shelter. I created a website to catalog my experiences with several dogs at ARF. For example, I noted their personalities and what type of family they would respond best to. I also used the method of temperament testing to assess the personality of dogs currently residing in families (these experiences are chronicled on my website). I chose this project because I am interested in both animals and psychology. Because of all my research, I can now assess how a dog is feeling according to its body language. I have also learned about building a website using the iWeb software.
Hannah Liot The Art of Healing Mentor Kimble Humiston Outside Consultant Megan Chaskey Throughout high school I would constantly hear about the infamous Senior Project. After three years of watching other seniors go through the process, it was finally my turn. I looked at all of the interests I had acquired over the last three years. The two most prominent topics that came to me were psychology and the study of different cultures, but I struggled with finding common ground between the two. I chose yoga and meditation to be the bridge because each is a traditional practice, intertwined within eastern cultures. I found the aspiration of yoga and meditation is to heal, and through the healing process, to reach pure consciousness. My goal was to understand how yoga and meditation heal psychologically, physically and spiritually, and demonstrate my understanding of this through a detailed paper. This project has greatly impacted my life, and I gained indispensable knowledge; yoga and meditation will definitely continue to be a part of my life
Stefanie Lipani Textile Design Mentor Lisa Gillespie Outside Consultants Dan Waldron and Casey Simonton Fashion and fabrics have always been an interest of mine. This attraction led me to choose textile design as a Senior Project. I made my own scheme and put colors and ideas together. By gathering information on the history and ways of designing textiles from several local artists, I was able to narrow down my ideas to one specific fabric design. I learned about textiles, silk-screening and sewing by taking classes at Amagansett Applied Arts. My final product is a series of six silkscreened designs reflecting my own personal style.
9
Stephanie Madison No Pane, No Gain Mentor Chris Engel Outside Consultant Romany Kramoris This is probably the last project anyone ever expected me to do. Throughout High School, I’ve never been an “art” student. After discovering that I was going to be doing an art project, even I was shocked. Ever since ninth grade I always envisioned myself doing a science project. Stained glass allowed me to explore art in a completely different way. My goals were to learn the techniques of making stained glass, and successfully create two stained glass pieces. This form of art makes me feel accomplished as an artist. I was really proud of my time management. I stayed on top of my work and had a schedule that I stuck to which helped immensely. I experienced a lot of difficulties cutting glass since I chose pieces that were a little advanced for a novice stained glass artist. In the end, I’m happy I chose the challenging pieces because it gave me a greater sense of accomplishment. Had I known what stained glass making entails, I probably would have bought stock in Band-Aid and Bounty, but I couldn’t be happier with the project I chose and am glad I got to explore yet another field during my time at Ross.
Kevin Manfredi Modern Beach Houses on the East End Mentor Jennifer Cross Outside Consultants Greg Tietjen and Eleanor Donnelly The goal of this project was to design a modern beach house for a family of four. The design distills the requirements of the family into an efficient building footprint with an exterior deck and pool. Every effort was made to develop a design that maximized the view revealing the waterfront scenery while minimizing the building footprint and interruption to the natural landscape. This project involved an “upsidedown” configuration, separating the two-story house into four distinct parts that remain connected as necessary. The main living area and master suite are situated on the upper level opening onto a long deck that peers over the dunes and native plants. An entertainment room for the children, their bedrooms, and a guest suite are all located on a lower grade creating a division for these spaces from the parent’s accommodations. An interior/exterior walkway serves as a path from the parking area to the beach and from the upper living spaces to the lower living spaces. The use of sustainable materials and energy efficient technology were included within the design, taking advantage of solar radiation for a beneficial use. Characteristics such as passive and active heating were essential within the design depending on its means of capturing, converting and distributing sunlight to convert into a useful output. The uses of materials with favorable thermal properties such as glass were included on the upper level scheme facing the two distinct bodies of water. The use of glass also allowed a public space to naturally circulate air throughout the building. Active solar technologies such as thermal collectors were situated on the roof transferring its absorbed thermal energy to areas within the house. Alternative materials such as bamboo flooring, low-e glass, and aluminum tiles were an efficient use of sustainable materials within the plan.
10
Mata McAskill Seaweed Survey of Three Mile Harbor Mentor Patty Lein Outside Consultant Dr. Larry Liddle I collected algae from Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, NY. I identified the algae and pressed them onto herbarium paper. I also created a poster about the zonation, morphology, nutrients and reproduction of algae. It will be used to inform the public about the types of algae in Three Mile Harbor and facts about them. My final product is the poster and a book containing all of my pressed algae samples. Throughout this process I have learned how to press and identify algae. I chose this project because of my interest in Marine Biology.
True McDonald The Black Duck Mentor Greg Drossel Outside Consultants Craig Kessler and John Coluccy I worked on my Senior Project with fellow senior Thomas Stelle. Our original plan was to do a scientific study on the Black Duck (of which there has been a 60% declination rate in recent years). It was to be conducted at Hubbard County Park in Flanders, specifically the area operated by Ducks Unlimited. However, because the study had to wait until after hunting season, in February, we instead decided to write a paper about the situation and divide it into two parts, one to be done by Tom, and the other by me. Tom focused on the actual scientific aspects of the Black Duck and speculated as to why the declination has occurred. I, on the other hand, wrote a paper about the cultural, political and economical aspects of sportsmen’s clubs on Long Island, specifically about the Flanders Club, which is located in Hubbard County Park, and now run by Ducks Unlimited.
Zachary McDowell Opinions of the Great Beast Mentor Alex Cromwell Outside Consultant Mary Ann Duffy My Senior Project was the creation of a long short story centered in and around my hometown of Greenport. My protagonist, who serves as the narrator, is Andre Kilroy, a former journalist. Andre, along with his best friend and former colleague Tom McMurphy, investigate the recent, inexplicable death of the town's long ruling mayor Dave Adler. The piece is a very satirical indictment of modern consumer culture, with a myriad of characters that function as allegorical representations of different philosophical approaches to modern life. I incorporate various non-fiction events that occurred either in my life or in the news though there is much embellishment and alteration of events. I attempt to portray all dimensions of the town, and contrast the perception offered to tourists by day with the seedy underbelly and abject poverty that lies just under the surface. I pay homage to various authors I admire including Hunter S. Thompson, Dostoevsky and Plato.
11
Annie Rose McGrath The Power of Art: The Journey of Self Discovery Mentor Christopher Engel Outside Consultants Sue Lichtenstein and Dennis Gaboury In July I traveled to Zanzibar, Tanzania where I worked with an organization called African Impact. I set up a series of art projects with the children from a local nursery school. After two weeks of observing them, I returned home. I then wrote a paper on art therapy and the benefits of children expressing themselves through art. I included my personal experience, interviews with local art therapists, and general research about the field. I presented my paper in the form of a book I designed myself using a program called BookSmart. I complemented it with the images from Tanzania taken by Veronica and Taylor Montemarano, and myself.
Grant Monahan A Study on the Defensive Strategies of Lepidopteran Larvae of Eastern Long Island Mentor Hugh McGuinness Outside Consultant John T. Lill For my Senior Project Hugh McGuinness and I conducted a scientific experiment in which we collected local caterpillars, and reared them for parasitoids. Parasitoids are species of wasps, flies and nematodes that target caterpillars for egg laying. Parasitoids lay their eggs within the caterpillar's body utilizing the caterpillar for larval development, ultimately killing the host. Caterpillars also have many other predators including vertebrates and invertebrates that include birds, beetles, ants and wasps. Because so many diverse predators hunt in different ways, there is no general defense that protects them from all different types of predators. This leads to parasitoids targeting caterpillars that are highly defensive towards their vertebrate predators. This is because vertebrate predators would not only eat the caterpillar, but the defenseless parasitoid larvae. By targeting highly defensive caterpillars, parasitoids increase the survival of their eggs.
Taylor Montemarano Explore, Inspire, Impact Mentor Veronica Philippi Outside Consultants Megan and Timo Lehmann For my Senior Project I organized a fundraiser for the Happy Africa Foundation. This foundation uses every cent of their funding for promoting and advancing sustainable community and conservation development in Africa. I specifically arranged for all of the money I raised to go to an African Impact project in Zanzibar, which I worked for over the summer. I chose my project because I could relate to the people as well as the community in Zanzibar. My fundraiser consisted of African drumming and dancing, a photo exhibit and sale, ethnic foods and a screening of a short film I made.
12
Kenneth Pinillos Our Presence Makes a Difference Mentor Carrie Clark Outside Consultant Sally Booth My project is about recognizing the accomplishments of Latinos and changing the perception of the stereotypical Latino. I chose my project because I was brought up in a family that holds their beliefs and culture close to them, and believes that as Latinos we should be role models and help enhance the community around us. I learned how to interview people, how to publish a book, and I now understand there is more than one class of an ethnic group.
Patience Pollock Every Drop Counts Mentor Alexis Martino Outside Consultant Michael Combs For my Senior Project, I created a body of multi-media artwork that displays my thoughts, opinions and ideas about a serious controversy and global crisis we are now facing: water conservation. The world’s fresh water resources are running dry. Both consumption patterns and daily life amenities are not where they should be. Besides reporting on gluttony and surplus consumption patterns of the U.S., the privatization of water on a global scale is also a major theme throughout the conceptual aspect of my project. I used black and white traditional printing mixed with my own digital images to collage and weave in and out the theme of how important water truly is. Water is all around us geographically, and it sustains our lives. An amount is even used to produce the jeans you wear. My intentions for this project are to grab my viewers, slow them down and force their focus on my abstract images to instill a sense of the necessities and basic needs water represents for the human race. I created abstract work that requires dissection and thought.
Daniel Rus A Phylogenic Analysis of Genes Associated with Parkinson's Disease Mentor AnneMarie Costello Outside Consultant Rob DeSalle My project is an evolutionary study of several genes that are associated with Parkinson’s disease. Using Gene Bank and PAUP (phylogenetic software), I reconstructed an evolutionary history of genes DJ-1, LRRK2, glucocerebrosidase, PARKIN, PINK1 and ATP13A2 among organisms such as drosophila, humans, mice, dogs and prokaryotes in order to examine the molecular evolution of these genes and attain a better understanding of their impact on Parkinson’s disease. The information is conveyed on a poster.
13
Johanna Saldana U.S. Immigration: Past and Present Mentor Kenneth Sacks Outside Consultants Rakhel Milstein, Millicent Clarke and Isabel Sepulveda My passion for immigration studies has grown throughout the years. I wanted to present my interest about immigration to the public and raise awareness, as this is a huge issue in the United States. I decided to write articles for the local newspapers. OLA (Organizacion Latino Americana) is the only active Hispanic organization on the East End. I talked to Isabel Sepulveda, the head of OLA, about my personal situation; I told her I wanted to do my Senior Project on immigration and right away she offered me a column in La Voz, a Hispanic newspaper for the Hamptons, which I accepted gratefully. I also focused on the before and after effect September 11 played on immigration policies. Besides writing immigration articles for La Voz, I also submitted my final article to the East Hampton Star and other local newspapers.
Thomas Stelle The Black Duck Mentor Greg Drossel Outside Consultants Craig Kessler and John Caluccy For my Senior Project I worked with fellow senior True McDonald to conduct an environmental study on the decrease of the American Black Duck. We wrote a paper about the Black Duck and its distribution, habitat and diet. We also included the history of parks on Long Island and their effect on the island. Our study incorporated a portion of our observations and findings that will be included in the more scientific part of the paper. The goal of our study was to find the cause of this decrease in the Black Duck population and to get more people involved in this issue.
Lucas Suarez-Orozco Path of the USSR Mentor James Earle Outside Consultant Lillian Pollack For my Senior Project I wrote a series of letters as Leon Trotsky and a fictional character as if they were really communicating. These letters reference historical events the fictional character brings to Trotsky’s attention during the latter’s exile. I chose this project because of my interest and fascination with Communism. I have studied Stalin, but Trotsky and his writing were new to me. This project greatly expanded my knowledge of the history of the U.S.S.R.
14
Taylor Wilson The Power of Wind Mentor Tom Liao Outside Consultant Gordian Raacke For my Senior Project I investigated the power of wind and created a wind turbine. In order to create this working model, a great deal of research was required. I studied how turbines work, as well as the main factors that affect their efficiency. I documented my process in a short paper that also provides a loose set of instructions on how to create a working model turbine. I looked at the history of wind turbines and how they have been used. My own turbine resides in Montauk, where all the data was collected.
Skyla Winters Interlacing Individuals: Family Portraits Mentor Jennifer Cross Outside Consultant David Slater My Senior Project is about the identity of a family–how it relates to the identity of each family member, how the members change each other’s identity, and how the identity of the family changes over time. I decided to focus on my own family. I created five large paintings, one for each person in my immediate family. All of these were made using encaustic crayons, oil paint, oil pastels and charcoal. I also made small works in various mediums that relate to my family and wrote poetry as well. I created a book to display all of these works. As I worked on my Senior Project, I learned a lot about the way my family and I function. I also learned a lot about myself as an artist; what my strengths are, what media I like to use, and what things I need to work on.
Yi Ying Zhu On the Neurological State During Sleeping and Dreaming Mentor AnneMarie Costello Outside Consultant Dr. Todd Rose For my Senior Project I tested the hypothesis of whether or not the human brain returns to an "ancestral state" during slumber. I created a poster on the answer to this theory. I chose my topic because I am very interested in how the brain functions during slumber. I learned that sleep is necessary for memory processing, so therefore, I will use the knowledge I gained from my Senior Project in the following way: since sleep is good for the body, I will sleep more in the future.
15