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Sports Roundup

Sports Roundup

RAY’S POETRY PUBLISHED IN COMSTOCK REVIEW A poem by English Master Margaret Rayhas been published in the literary magazine The Comstock Review. Readers can enjoy Ray’s “Dead Ringer” in the fall/winter issue. The Comstock Review is now one of America’s most respected poetry journals, with a long-established reputation for publishing the finest known and unknown North American poets.

2020 WELLES AWARDS GRANTED

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Thirteen Lawrentians will pursue academic research ranging from immigration studies to solar-powered computers this summer with support from the William Welles Award. The annual grants program benefits Third and Fourth Form students in memory of William Bouton Welles ’71, allowing select Lawrentians to tackle an independent study project of their choosing. A faculty committee selects grantees. The 2020 Welles Award winners and their projects are:

COURTNEY ABBOTT ’21

Implement a robotics program at the SOS Children’s Village in Jamaica.

RACHELLE CHO ’21

Help Latinx students in New York City prepare for the Specialized High School Admission Test.

JOSH CIGOIANU ’22

Research Romania’s Voronet Monastery, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

ARIANA CODJOE ’21

Create study strategy materials for students with learning disabilities in Bronx, New York.

ARATA FUJII ’21

Educate teachers in Tokoyo about the Harkness method of teaching.

RACHEL KRUMHOLTZ ’21

Form a political action committee to raise awareness and promote the cause of childhood literacy.

ASHLEY LEE ’21

Study biodiversity in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

SYDNEY MCCORMACK ’21

Write a book that will help children overcome their fear of learning to swim.

ERIC MORAIS ’21

Investigate the relationship between NBA team success and their use of analytics.

MICHAEL SOTIRESCU ’22

Document sustainability efforts at the Lawrenceville School and in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

NICO TORRES ’22

Examine the differences in childhood education between rural and urban schools in Brazil.

MICHAEL ZHANG ’21

Survey the influence of social media on the opinions and voting patterns of young voters.

Drummer Mark Lomax’s 400: An Afrikan Epic, musically tells the story of the African diaspora over the course of a 12-album cycle.

LOMAX BRINGS JAZZ AND BLUES TO LAWRENCEVILLE

Mark Lomax II, who visited Lawrenceville in February to present excerpts from his landmark work, 400: An Afrikan Epic, also stopped by School Meeting to guide students through a quick lesson in musical history. Lomax, a Wexner Center for the Arts at the Ohio State University Artist Residency 2018 Award recipient, described how jazz and the blues were originated by African Americans in the midst of slavery, drawing from traditional African musical influences.

“The blues is a musical language that comes from African American slave roots,” he said. “It’s a form of communication that developed out of slavery.”

The Pond, one of Lawrenceville’s enduring landmarks, is part of the Shipetaukin Creek, which currently suffers from parking-lot runoff and eroded banks.

FUNDING FLOWS FOR CAMPUS STREAM SYSTEM

Lawrenceville has received funding for a baseline study of water quality in the campus stream known as the Shipetaukin Creek, which is part of the Delaware River Basin. The Fair Play Foundation of Wilmington, Delaware, led by Blaine Philips P’22, will support a partnership beginning this spring with the internationally recognized Stroud Water Research Center of Avondale, Pennsylvania.

The project will involve working with Stroud Center Director of Education Steve Kerlin and the Center’s education and research staff to support student research in documenting current watershed health conditions. A long-term, student-led study will also be developed to measure planned improvements in water quality and environmental stewardship actions following the implementation of stream best practices as part of the School’s proposed Tsai Dining Hall and Athletics Complex construction. New practices include stream buffers, rain gardens, and permeable pavers that will prevent polluted runoff from campus paved surfaces behind the Tsai Complex from draining directly into the campus stream.

“The section of the Shipetaukin Creek on campus is currently in an impaired state with parking-lot runoff and eroded banks,” said Stephen Laubach P’23, Lawrenceville’s director of sustainability. “As a tributary to the Delaware River and a source of drinking water for millions downstream, it is important for us to do our part to demonstrate improvement, and this will allow our students to accomplish that goal.”

MODEL U.N. SWEEPS YALE CONFERENCE

Lawrenceville earned the title of Outstanding Small Delegation, as well as six individual honors at the 46 th Annual Yale Model United Nations Conference in January.

Anika Bagaria ’20 won the Best Delegate award, and Jack Hallinan ’21, Avigna Ramachandran ’21, Ayan Schwartzenberg ’22, Arya Singh ’20, and Elaine Wang ’20 earned the Outstanding Delegate award in their respective committees. Bagaria and Dami Kim ’20 led the delegation as co-presidents, and History Master Kim McMenamin served as the faculty adviser for this event.

Other members of the successful delegation were Chris Delaney ’20, Chris Crane ’21, Chris Pandapas ’21, Jasper Zhu ’21, and Maksym Bondarenko ’22. — Chris Delaney ’20 and Ellie Shin ’21

‘GOOD BONES’ POET SMITH VISITS

Maggie Smith, the School’s 2019-20 Merrill Poet, spoke to an English class in the Heely Room in January.

Prize-winning poet Maggie Smith visited campus in January as the 2019-20 Merrill Poet. During her residency, Smith served as a guest lecturer in English classes, led a poetry master class with students and alumni, and read from her works during an event in the Edith Memorial Chapel.

Smith is the author of four books of poetry, one of which, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, earned both the 2012 Dorset Prize and the 2016 Gold Medal in Poetry for the Independent Publishers Book Awards. She is perhaps best known for her poem, “Good Bones,” which went viral after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, and the murder of British parliamentarian Jo Cox in June 2016. The work was tabbed the “Official Poem of 2016” by Public Radio International, and it has been shared widely around the world, having been translated into nearly a dozen languages. In April 2017, “Good Bones” was featured on the CBS primetime drama Madam Secretary – in an episode also called “Good Bones” – and Meryl Streep read the poem at the 2017 Academy of American Poets gala at Lincoln Center.

Lawrenceville’s Merrill Poetry Seminar commemorates Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus and poet James Merrill ’43. The program invites notable poets to spend time on campus teaching classes, lecturing, and reading from their work. Former participants have included Billy Collins, Louise Glück, Robert Hass, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Dennis Nurkse ’66.

HIGH TRASHION

McPherson House finished first in the 2020 Lawrenceville Trashion Show, part of the School’s environmental awareness month, Sustainuary. The annual Trashion Show challenges Circle and Crescent Houses to create couture from recycled materials, with faculty judges rating each creation based on acceptable and diverse material use, creativity, wearability, stage presence, and how well the piece inspires waste reduction.

BIG RED ‘ SQUASHES’ THE M.A.P.L.

The boys’ and girls’ squash teams both nabbed Mid-Atlantic Prep League (M.A.P.L.) championships in February. The boys topped Mercersburg Academy at the Hill School for their title on the same day the girls claimed the crown at the Semans/ Lawson-Johnston Squash Courts.

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD TAKES A TRIO

Girls’ indoor track and field claimed three championships in as many weeks this past winter. The team won its second consecutive Mercer County Indoor Track and Field Championship, with Charlotte Bednar ’22 setting two Indoor Mercer County Meet Records: 4:56.72 in the 1600m (first in New Jersey/third in the U.S. this year) and 10:22.64 in the 3200m (first in New Jersey/first in the U.S.). Amy Aririguzoh ’20 placed first in the high jump and second in the 200m.

Days later, the squad took the N.J.I.S.A.A. Prep A state championship, with Big Red scoring in every single event behind the leadership of captains Grace Faircloth ’20, Aririguzoh, and Carolyn King ’20. The girls added the M.A.P.L. crown two weeks later at Lavino Field House to complete the track and field trifecta.

A CUT ABOVE

The entire School community helped Lawrentians raise over $21,000 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a leading pediatric cancer research organization, in February. St. Baldrick’s hair-razing signature event sees students having their heads shaved in order to earn pledges to the foundation. In topping their $20,000 goal, students had hoped to earn a day off from classes and to see Dean of Students Blake Eldridge ’96 H’12 sporting a Mohawk coif – dyed (Big) red, of course – prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

BEST OF BIG RED

HEADED TO THE NCAA Dozens of members of the Class of 2020 announced in February that they will continue their careers as student-athletes next year at some of the nation’s finest colleges and universities. Pictured here are just some of the Lawrentians who will compete in college.

VILFORT WINS SCHOLAR-LEADERATHLETE AWARD

C.J. Vilfort ’20 was honored in March as a George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete for his excellence on and off the football field. Vilfort, who will play football for Williams in the fall, received a $1,000 scholarship at the organization’s 58 th annual dinner at the Princeton Marriott. The event honors football players who have made an impact on the area in and out of football. The award is sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

A stalwart on Lawrenceville’s defensive line, C.J. Vilfort ’20 fights his way to the ball-carrier.

BURNING UP THE TRACK AT EASTERNS

One gold medal and two broken Big Red records made for a fine day at the 86 th annual Eastern States Championships at the New Balance Track and Field Center in New York City in February.

Jakob Kunzer ’20 smashed a School record in the 400 meters set in 1972, crossing the finish line in 48.84 seconds to finish third in the event.

Charlotte Bednar ’22 added yet another title to her impressive running résumé, finishing first in the two-mile at 10:29.86. Bednar is now New Jersey’s best in the 1600m, 3200m, and two-mile runs (seventh in the U.S.), and second in the mile.

The girls’ distance medley team Kiera Duffy ’22, Amy Aririguzoh ’20, Bednar, and Laila Ritter ’22 blazed around the track in 12.04 minutes – a Lawrenceville record – making them the thirdfastest quartet in New Jersey and seventh in the U.S.

GIRLS’ SWIMMING TAKES STATE TITLE GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT – INCLUDING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GIRLS’ SWIMMING SQUAD, WHICH CAPTURED THE N.J.I.S.A.A. CHAMPIONSHIP IN FEBRUARY, THE TEAM’S FIRST TITLE IN EIGHT YEARS. • “IT WAS A GREAT TEAM EFFORT CAPPED OFF BY AN EXCITING WIN. IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO BRING THE TROPHY BACK HOME TO LAWRENCEVILLE,” SAID HEAD COACH STEFANIE HARRISON. “ALMOST ALL OF OUR GIRLS SWAM PERSONAL BEST TIMES, WHICH IS A VERY SPECIAL OCCURRENCE.” • MIRANDA CAI ’20 TOOK FIRST PLACE IN BOTH THE 50-METER AND 100-METER FREESTYLE RACES AND SET A SCHOOL RECORD OF 52.60 SECONDS IN THE 100M.

GIRLS’ FENCING TOPS IN STATE Lawrenceville’s girls’ fencing team won the N.J.I.S.A.A. Prep A state title in February, finishing first in both epée and foil and third in sabre to win the overall title at The Hun School. Individual finishes were as follows:

L Epée Marta Baziuk ’20 – 2 nd Parrish Albahary ’20 – 7 th

L Foil Ashley Wang ’23 – 1 st Katelyn Ge ’21 – 2 nd Divya Sammeta ’20 – 4 th

L Sabre Olivia Simonian ’23 – 2 nd Ashley van den Bol ’20 – 5 th

BIG RED ICES HILL TO WIN M.A.H.L.

Lawrenceville’s boys’ ice hockey team scored a trio of goals at home to blank rival Hill School, 3-0, and earn the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (M.A.H.L.) trophy in February. Big Red followed up its M.A.H.L. title by winning its first two games in the New England Affiliate Tournament before falling to Stanstead College of Quebec.

#VirtualSemperViridis

Adapting to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Lawrenceville becomes a Virtual VILLEage.

As it did everywhere, the spread of the novel coronavirus across the United States came with surprising speed in March, as institutions maneuvered just as quickly and carefully to stay ahead of the virus that causes COVID-19. The month began with students departing campus for spring break, though not to any of their planned service trips. By the time March was through, Lawrenceville had effectively reconceived its model of learning, with students beginning the spring term from their homes. A bold, new “Virtual VILLEage” began the term on Monday, March 30, with online distance learning the new reality for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

Upon their return from spring break, every faculty member completed an intensive course on distance learning and is using the skills and practices they gleaned to redesign their courses for the online environment. Teachers developed clear and engaging work for students to complete independently, planning “live” classes via the Zoom virtual meeting platform to build on students’ independent efforts and maintain and deepen community connections.

“Our VILLEage has adapted to the current circumstances in a remarkable fashion,” said Head Master Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21 in an informational document outlining the School’s approach to battling the pandemic. “Our teachers, department chairs, housemasters, and deans have led the way with a can-do, we-will-find-a-way, positive spirit.”

The students’ independent work – referred to as “asynchronous” – will loom large, given that the young learners are now spread out across sixteen time zones. Still, the importance of Harkness dialogue, community, and House culture will remain as vital as before, underscoring the importance of the “synchronous” experiences students will share.

Zoom, which gained a foothold this spring as so many professionals switched to a workfrom-home model, has become as ubiquitous in educational settings as it has in the virtual workplace. At Lawrenceville, Zoom is now the central platform for synchronous classes, meetings, and any other kinds of “virtual” gatherings. All students and faculty have access to the platform, which will be used for House and advisee meetings. A pre-recorded School Meeting will also occur via YouTube each week.

With the transition to distance learning for the spring term, students will be adjusting to a completely new academic environment – one that occurs amid the looming uncertainty and stress the global pandemic will continue to cause families, increasing the difficulty of students doing their very best work this spring. All coursework for the spring term will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.

“As we all work to navigate what will likely be a challenging and new learning environment, we felt it important that we give everyone the space to make mistakes and learn from the experience,” said David Laws P’21 ’23, dean of academics, in a letter to students.

Because preparations for distance learning caused the spring term to begin a week after its original start date of March 23, classes will continue through Friday, June 5, for all students, including Fifth Formers. However, there will be no final exams at the end of the term.

Murray was confident that together, students, their teachers, and their housemasters could withstand the challenges presented by the pandemic, beginning with their response to life as a Virtual VILLEage.

“Times like these reorder our priorities and teach us what is important,” he said, “and it is precisely at such moments that we learn how strong and resilient we are as a community.”

Ed. Note: The COVID-19 pandemic was spreading to the Lawrenceville area as production of the spring Lawrentian was closing. Look for a comprehensive look into how the School adjusted to distance learning in the summer issue.

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