2022 May – The Mirror

Students Honored with Underclass Awards and Cum Laude Society Induction

May 13, 2022 by Mirror Staff

The Underclass Award Ceremony was on Thursday May 12th. Students from the junior class won several awards. There were also several college scholarships given out to students who have been excelling the classroom. It was great to see so many Northwood students get so many fantastic awards, Northwood community is also extremely appreciative of the opportunity granted by several universities.

Ms. Jill Walker is the chairperson of Northwood’s Cum Laude Society, an honor society which recognizes Northwood’s top juniors and seniors. “The Cum Laude society is the highest honor society available for students in private schools,” Walker said. “To be inducted, students not only have to be top of their class, but we also consider what courses students are taking and how their effort grades are. This year is one of the biggest classes we have had and as always, the kids inducted are incredible students and people,” Walker added.

Dean of Academic Affairs Ms. Carmichael described how students are selected for the subject awards. “We have a meeting with all the teachers who teach in each subject area, and we discuss who deserves the award. Each teacher may nominate a student,” said Carmichael. “The award isn’t just based on performance in class; the teachers consider what students have done outside the classroom and how much effort they are putting into the subject.” Carmichael noted that choosing award winners can be difficult. “The discussion can get heated at times, because teachers are deeply passionate about the students they nominate.”

Carmichael highlighted one student who has shown extreme growth and excellence. “The English Learner Prize was given to Jeremy Tsang ‘23 this year. When I look at the classes he was in when he first arrived here and compare them to what he is doing now, I am inspired, Carmichael said. “He is now in AP English Literature and is succeeding, I am enormously proud of his growth.”

Director of College Counseling Mr. David McCauley described the college scholarships that were offered. “Colleges look to partner with good academic secondary schools and give these scholarships hoping that these schools can find the right person for their college. St Lawrence University is a super generous college that offers the opportunity for our students to win up to a $36,000 per year scholarship. We use this opportunity as a vehicle to guide students to great universities that suit them. Just because students win this award doesn’t mean they are going to be accepted, but if they apply and are admitted, they are then granted the scholarship they won. In most cases, students get into the college they win the scholarship from,” McCauley added. The Northwood community is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to earn these scholarships.

Overall, the underclass awards ceremony was a tremendous success, the winners of the awards are listed below. Northwood congratulates the students who won these prestigious awards and encourages those who didn’t win an award to work hard in their studies and win an award in the future.

DARTMOUTH BOOK AWARD
The Dartmouth Alumni Book Award Program has two goals: to recognize and reward high school juniors who have excelled both academically and in their extracurricular activities; and to encourage these talented students to consider attending Dartmouth. The winner is: TURNER JACKSON ‘23

WILLIAMS BOOK AWARD
The Williams College Book Award encourages intellectual excellence and recognizes student achievement. A book is awarded to the student who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and made significant contribution to the extracurricular life of their school. The winner is: IVA-AMANDA NELSON ‘23

BROWN BOOK AWARD
Brown University honors the junior who best combines academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression. Language is the highest expression of our humanity; it defines what we are and what we aspire to be. Those who use words effectively will be the leaders in the generation. In them we invest our hope; to them we accord our respect. With this award, we salute their potential. The winner is: NOAH LEDDELL ‘23

BOWDOIN BOOK AWARD
This award recognizes a high school junior who has demonstrated extraordinary service to the common good and an unusual passion for inquiry, discovery, and innovative thinking. The winner is: JAMES SCHNEID ‘23

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME BOOK AWARD
The Notre Dame Book Award recognizes a junior who is a creative, compassionate individual; who is curious, excels academically; and who seeks social justice and a way to make a difference. The recipient is: CHRISTIE-ANN NELSON ‘23

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BAUSCH & LOMB HONORARY SCIENCE AWARD
A merit scholarship to the University of Rochester is given to one junior with outstanding academic achievement in the field of science and math. This year’s recipient is: JAZLYN LLUBERES ‘23

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award
A merit scholarship to the University of Rochester is given to one junior with a demonstrated commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues as well as leadership and dedication to community action. This year’s recipient is: KIRA COOK ‘23

RENSSELAER MEDAL
This award is given annually by the Alumni Association of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to the student in the Junior Class who ranks highest in math & science and has the greatest interest in a science-related career. This merit scholarship is for up to $120,000 over four years. The winner is: GEORGIA BAILEY ‘23

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY COMPUTING MEDAL AWARD
The Computing Medal and Scholarship Program recognizes a student who has distinguished themselves academically, is active and involved as a member of their school and community and demonstrates interest and ability in computing. The student selected to receive the award is eligible for $32,000 over four years, and their application fee will be waived. This year’s winner is: MINH-KHOI (KIRK) NGUYENLE ‘23

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION & CREATIVITY AWARD SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship of $32,000 over four years is awarded to one male and one female junior with great promise in science, technology, engineering or math and in recognition of their potential as an innovator, creator, and entrepreneur. The winners are: ADRIA TEBO ‘23 and BRIAN BETTE ‘23

CLARKSON AWARDS

The Clarkson University High School Leadership Award is in recognition of outstanding leadership qualities and academic promise. This award carries a $60,000 scholarship over four years. WILLIAM BATTEN ‘23

The Clarkson University High School Achievement Award carries a $48,000 scholarship over four years. BROOKE KELLEY ‘23

AUGSBURY/NORTH COUNTRY SCHOLARSHIP AT ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
The Augsbury/North Country Scholarship was established in 1974 and serves to recognize academic and co-curricular leadership among designated North Country and Canadian high school students. The four-year scholarship, worth $128,000, is awarded to three nominated students. Northwood School’s nominees are: SOPHIA KELTING ‘23, AIDAN LASKY ‘23, and TIM KELLY ‘23

SAINT LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD
St. Lawrence University honors the achievement of a high school junior who has displayed a significant commitment to community service. The winner of this award will receive a $4,000 merit scholarship over four years. The winner is: JOEY WINTHROP ‘23

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT CITIZEN SCHOLAR BOOK AWARD
UVM recognizes exemplary students with this award for demonstrating active citizenship and service to their communities as well as outstanding scholarship. Putting knowledge into action for the betterment of humanity is at the foundation of a UVM education. This year’s award goes to: BELLA WISSLER ‘23

SAINT MICHAEL’S COLLEGE BOOK AWARD
The Saint Michael’s Book Award recognizes a pair of juniors who exhibit the characteristics of an ideal Saint Michael’s student. Awardees are candidates for the Cum Laude Society and demonstrate Social Conscience: they show a sustained and sincere commitment to community service, issues of peace and justice, and concern for others. This year’s winners, who will receive a scholarship to Saint Michael’s College of at least $17,000 per year up to full tuition, are: MARIEMA THIOUBOU’23 and DANIEL BUCHBINDER ‘23

ST. BONAVENTURE REILLY SCHOLARSHIPS
At St. Bonaventure, Franciscan values of community and service are cornerstones of their identity, mission, and culture. The Reilly Scholarships, $72,000 over 4 years of study, reward students based on qualities that reflect the core values of our university, including academic excellence, community, integrity, wisdom, leadership, social responsibility, compassion, and an appreciation for diversity: RAFAEL BORLIDO ‘23, JUNIOR HAPPI ’23, JUNYEOP LEE ’23, MATHIS NOLET-GAGNE ’23, and THEBE MOSEHATHEBE ‘23

ELMIRA COLLEGE KEY
Sponsored by the Elmira College Alumni Association, the Elmira Key has been awarded since 1935. This merit award is bestowed upon an outstanding student in their junior year of high school. The Elmira Key holds a monetary scholarship of $80,000 over four years upon enrolling at Elmira. This year’s winners are: ANNA PAVLASOVA ‘23 and CELIA WIEGAND ‘23

UTICA UNIVERSITY JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship, $5,000 guaranteed for all four years, acknowledges students who show academic promise and would contribute to the Utica University community. This year’s winners are: JACK KENT ‘23 and COLE MATHEWS ‘23

ALFRED UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS AWARD
Alfred University offers a wide variety of scholarships to acknowledge the special abilities of new first year, transfer and international students. One current junior from each high school will be eligible for this award. Based on chosen major, the selected recipient will receive up to $30,000 per year until graduating from Alfred University. This year the award goes to: LOK TO JEREMY TSANG ‘23

WELLS COLLEGE 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Wells College presents 21st Century Leadership Awards to high school juniors who demonstrates outstanding leadership ability in high school and community activities. Recipients are nominated by their school and are then recognized by the Admissions Committee. 21st Century Leadership Award recipients are awarded a $40,000 scholarship, $10,000 a year for four consecutive years of study at the College. The winners are: MAISIE CRANE’23 and JULIA TURNER ‘23

WILKES UNIVERSITY – COLONEL EMERGING LEADER AWARD
The Colonel Emerging Leader Award is a pre-scholarship granted to high school juniors who demonstrate academic potential. Selected students would be guaranteed a minimum of $13,000 per year should the student be admitted and enroll at Wilkes University in the fall semester immediately following high school graduation. This year’s winner is: FINLEY DONOHUE’23

SUNY ALBANY MULTICULTURAL AWARD
The University at Albany Multicultural High School Achievers Award Program honors the accomplishments of high school achievers from upstate New York and beyond. Now proudly celebrating its 35th year, this program provides the University at Albany with the opportunity to recognize juniors who have distinguished high school academic records and who are involved in numerous school and community activities. This year’s winner is: ABIGAIL SINCLAIR ‘23

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

ENGLISH PRIZE
The English prize goes to a student for whom literature is a passport to all lands and ages for whom writing is an opportunity to convey worthy ideas with passion and grace. The winner this year is: FINLEY DONAHUE ‘23

WORLD LANGUAGE PRIZE
The Language Prize is awarded to the student who passionately pursues skill in the speaking, reading, and writing of a foreign language. The winners this year are:

For French – CHRISTIE-ANN NELSON ‘23

For Spanish – TURNER JACKSON ‘23

MATHEMATICS PRIZE
The Mathematics prize is given to a student who combines talent with hard work, and whose curiosity and creative thinking provide a lively model for maximizing learning in mathematics. The winner this year is: JAMES SCHNEID ‘23

SCIENCE PRIZE
The Science prize is given to a student who has demonstrated both interest and achievement in the field of science. This student has a strong desire to understand scientific concepts and has an inquisitive mind. In addition, this student thinks about the topics beyond the scope of the classroom and completes every assignment with diligence and effort. The winner this year is: GEORGIA BAILEY ‘23

SOCIAL SCIENCE PRIZE
The Social Science prize is presented for excellence in the appreciation and understanding of issues in the Social Sciences. The winner is: ABIGAIL SINCLAIR ‘23

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS PRIZES
Creativity, passion, energy, and a zest for artistic excellence are qualities that describe the recipients of these awards.
FOR VISUAL ARTS: SOPHIA KELTING ‘23
FOR PERFORMING ARTS: BELLA WISSLER ’23

ENGLISH LEARNER PRIZE
The English Learner Prize is given to a junior who has, through engagement in the Northwood Community, demonstrated an increased mastery of the English language. The winner is: LOK TO JEREMY TSANG ‘23

INNOVATION, ENGINEERING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL PRIZE
The IEE Prize is given to a student for whose curiosity, creative problem solving, and teamwork helped advanced the development and growth of the Innovation, Engineering and Entrepreneurial Studies program. The winner is: IVA-AMANDA NELSON ‘23

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

NHL Playoff Predictions

May 10, 2022 by Jack Kent

The NHL Playoffs have started, and after one of the most exciting seasons in history, many fans are looking forward to watching how it will all end. There are a lot of uncertainties for this year, and many questions to be answered. Here are my predictions for this year’s NHL Playoffs.

Eastern Conference Winner: Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes had an incredibly successful season, finishing 3rd overall in the league. With Vezina-caliber goaltending and an incredibly deep roster, the Canes can compete with practically any team. Their biggest worry is starting the playoffs without their starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen, but if they can get him back and make it through the first round, they will likely go all the way. There aren’t really any holes within this team, which cannot be said about many of the teams in the playoffs.

Western Conference Winner: Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames were the third winningest team in the Western Conference and confounded many expectations to get to the top of the Pacific Division. Their offensive output was ridiculous, with 2 100-point players in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as 3 40-goal scorers. Additionally, their play in their own end was solid, with a strong defensive core as well as another Vezina candidate out of Jacob Markstrom. Because of this, the flames let in the 3rd fewest goals in the league. The flames have a relatively easy route to the conference finals, and whoever they end up facing there likely will not be prepared.

Stanley Cup Winner: Carolina Hurricanes

The Flames and Canes will be a spirited series from two of the most consistent teams, but I believe the edge will have to go to the Hurricanes. However, this will be an incredibly evenly matched series that will likely come with a couple of surprises.

Dark Horses

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton is a weird case. They have struggled a lot in recent seasons, both in and out of the playoffs, despite having the two best offensive players in the league. They have been on a losing streak in playoff games going back to 2017. Their defense and goaltending are incredibly shaky, and average at best. But the Oilers are one team I could potentially see making a solid run. They are a speedy, offensive team that can catch a lot of teams off guard. They were revitalized mid-season with the appointment of Jay Woodcroft as Head Coach, going 26-9-3 in his control and ending the season with a ton of momentum. And at least Oilers goalie Mike Smith has a decent history in the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has not won a playoff series since 2004. If they can do as much as win this series, they could probably do anything.

Series To Watch

St. Louis vs Minnesota

This will be the most evenly matched series in the playoffs. Two heavily offensive teams, who experienced incredibly passionate regular-season matchups, are to face off in the first round. There shouldn’t be a single game that isn’t a war.

Edmonton vs Calgary

The battle of Alberta, one of the best rivalries in the NHL, will likely return for the first time in 30 years, if there aren’t any surprises. It should be an excellent match up of star power and offense.

Conn Smythe Winner-Frederik Andersen

If the Carolina Hurricanes win the cup, I believe Andersen would be the winner as long as he could recover from his injury and previous playoff woes. He will be an important backbone to an already deep team and be a major help every step of the way.

Breakout Players

Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes

Jarvis had a solid rookie season, with 17 goals and 40 points in 68 games. If the Canes do end up making the cup run, he will definitely be one of the many cogs that helps them get there.

Bowen Byram, Colorado Avalanche

Colorado’s 2019 first round pick had his rookie season cut short due to lingering concussion issues but was strong in the sample size we got from him. If Colorado makes a deep run, which is likely, Byram, Devon Toews, and Cale Makar will set a dangerous offensive standard for blueliners in the league.

This year’s playoffs look to be incredibly exciting. Many teams have already defied expectations, so it’s not always easy to predict what will happen next. But no matter what happens, it’s important to just sit back and take it all in. It’s still a long road to the finals.

Filed Under: Real World, Sports

Northwood Robotics Goes 6-4 at World Championships

May 5, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

The Northwood Robotics Team travelled to Houston, Texas over spring break to compete in the FIRST Robotics World Championships. It’s the first time Northwood has qualified for the prestigious event. After a long season of preparation and hard work, they earned their place at the world championship, and the finished the competition with a winning record.

Teams go through qualifications, which include 10 matches. At the end of qualifications, the teams that place in the top 8 then pick 3 other teams to be with them. Northwood’s robotics team won 6 and lost 4 in the qualifying round, which is outstanding for their first world championship, but unfortunately, they didn’t get picked to advance.

There were 75 teams in their division and Northwood Robotics placed 46th based on points and placed in the top 20 based on wins and losses.

The team was encouraged by the performance.

“It was fantastic. There were 25,000 people at the arena. We focused mainly on being a strong defensive team,” David Garvey, one of the team’s leaders, said. “We played some really good defense. We held some of the best teams in the world down really well. We were one of the best defensive robots there. It was an unreal experience going to such a huge event, it will be a tournament I remember for the rest of my life. We learned so much from this trip. Experiencing new things and meeting new people helped me develop as a person. Overall, it was a fantastic experience,” Garvey concluded.

The robotics team found success despite having several issues getting to Houston. They were supposed to fly out of Albany at 9:30 on a Tuesday morning, but their plane broke down. The team began to worry that they wouldn’t make it to Houston. Thankfully, United Airlines gave them a coach ride to a hotel in New York, and with a 3:00 am start the next day, they finally made it to Houston.

“We arrived in Houston at 8:30 a.m., and it took us an hour to get to the competition. We competed hard all day and got back to the hotel around 7:30 p.m. which gave us a bit of time to rest, but not much, because we had to be at the competition at 6 a.m. the next day,” Garvey said.

The students who represented Northwood Robotics in the competition were Anthony Lavigne ‘22, Brian Bette ‘23, Brian Brady ‘24, David Garvey ‘22, Kiet Do ‘22, Matthew Burns ‘22, Minh-Khoi Nguyen ‘23, Mitchell Tuttle ‘24, Piper Teig ‘25, and Wyatt Wardlaw ‘24. Mr. Martin is the coach and mentor of the team and Ms. Martin also serves as a team mentor.

These students have worked hard all year and have talent and passion for robotics. They are happy with their performance in Houston and are optimistic about Northwood’s future in robotics. It was a great tournament for Northwood School and a valuable experience for students.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Soccer Team Competes in Dallas Cup

May 5, 2022 by Colter Cheney-Seymour

While most students and faculty enjoyed their first week of spring break relaxing, the boys’ soccer team took on their biggest challenge of the year. The U17 and U19 teams traveled to Texas to compete in the Dallas Cup, the largest amateur club soccer tournament in the United States and the culminating tournament for the Northwood squads.

Travel to Texas began early on Friday April 8th as the boys drove to Albany Airport. After a flight to Baltimore, the boys grabbed smoothies in the airport and got ready for their flight to Dallas. Upon arriving, each team went out for Tacos and got settled into their hotels.

The first few days prior to the games were spent resting and having light tactical training. The tournament is set up with each team put into a group of four teams. To advance past the group stage a team must be one of the two best teams in the group.

The U19s started the tournament playing Tuesday morning against a Mexican academy team. Unfortunately, the older boys lost the game but fought hard and had plenty of chances. This was a reoccurring theme for the older squad, and they did not get a win in the group stage. The remainder of their games they dominated in possession and chances but could not put the ball in the net.

The younger squad started off the tournament positively with a 3-1 win on Thursday afternoon. This marked a strong start for the U17s which would have a highly anticipated night game on Thursday evening. However, the rest of the tournament did not bring success for the U17s either.

Overall, this will be remembered as a learning experience by the players and coaches who hope to improve in the future.

Filed Under: Sports

Arts Showcase Declared “Fantastic!”

May 4, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Kendin Basden ’22 performing at the Northwood Arts Showcase on April 27 at LPCA.

The Arts Showcase was last week on Wednesday, April 27th. Students from Northwood and other schools came together to put on a fantastic show for the Northwood community.

Students sang, played instruments, danced, and showed their paintings, drawings, illustrations and other visual arts.

Students worked for hours to be ready for this huge performance. Ms. Carmichael and Mr. Stewart organized the performance and played a huge role in the success of the show, which took place at the LCPA which allowed more students and family to come watch the show.

Cedric Lemaire ’24 was extremely impressed with the talent displayed at the show. “It was fantastic. I didn’t know so many students at Northwood were that talented. The most enjoyable performance of the show in my opinion was Kiet. All performances were amazing, but when Kiet sang ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra I went crazy! His singing was fantastic and had everyone in awe. Overall, I had a fantastic night, I look forward to the next Arts Showcase.”

“Over 25 students, including skiers, dancers, soccer and hockey players came together to share their songs, dance moves, and artwork with the Northwood community,” said co-producer and music teacher Mr. Stewart. “While doing a production less than 48 hours removed from vacation is less than ideal, our amazing performers worked incredibly hard and put on quite a show! I thought we had moments of triumph, moments of resilience, and moments of joy, and that’s all you can ask for out of any performance. I’m so proud of all the work our students continue to do to help make both the visual and performing arts a vibrant part of their Northwood experience,” Stewart added.

The Arts Showcase was brilliant. I was lucky enough to participate in the show and had so much fun preparing for the performance and performing. Northwood encourages all students to try new things and to challenge themselves. This Arts Performance provided an opportunity for experienced artists to display their skill and provided an opportunity for new artists to learn and perform. The Arts Showcase this trimester was fantastic, the Northwood community can’t wait for the next show.

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Filed Under: Northwood Life

Prom Set for May 19th with “Midnight Garden” Theme

May 4, 2022 by Mitchell Baker

Students are extremely optimistic about this year’s prom, which will be the last social activity for the 2022 graduates. This year’s Northwood Prom theme is “Midnight Garden.”

Prom is an opportunity for students to make memories they will remember for the rest of their lives; it also gives students something to look forward to after a long, stressful year at school.

“I am really looking forward to this year’s prom, as a 2022 graduate this is a significant event for me and other 2022 graduates,” Aristide Gry ‘22 said. “I am optimistic about the prom theme; I think the prom committee chose very wisely this year and made a good decision choosing Midnight Garden.”

The Northwood Prom committee chose “Midnight Garden” because they wanted the same feel as last year’s “Enchanted Garden,” but this year they wanted to step it up a notch. Students can use endless creativity to choose what they’re going to wear. Midnight Garden is also a very calm, creative vibe that lets students enjoy their big night and allows them to have some fun.

Student activities coordinator Ms. Carrie Donatello, one of the organizers for the prom this year, shared some details of the event: “The prom will take place on Thursday, May 19th, a day before senior dinner. The prom will begin at approximately 7:00 p.m. and will be held on campus under the same giant tent used for senior dinner and graduation. Guests from outside of Northwood are welcome to join us this year,” Ms. Donatello, added, and “it will cost $70 per student.” The food offerings will be different this year. “There will be two food trucks, so there will be a variety of options for students to choose from,” said Mrs. Donatello. There will also be a pre-prom reception in the living room and a dessert table at the end of prom.

Because the event is mostly outside and COVID-19 community levels are not high, the school will not require proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative test. “We hope the whole school will participate,” said Donatello, “it will be like a formal party.”

Start preparing your outfit for this year’s prom on May 19th. Remember, the theme is “Midnight Garden,” so dress appropriately. Northwood encourages all students to attend prom—it will be a night to remember.