Advanced STEM Research Concludes with Poster Symposium

April 22, 2024 by

As we are approaching the end of the year, there is an opportunity for some students to go out with a bang. Science teacher and director of the Advanced STEM Research program, Ms. Jill Walker, believes that students learn more from doing than from being talked to. Through the Advanced STEM Research program, Northwood allows students to dive deeper into something that interests them for a whole year. This also allows them to distinguish themselves in the college application process. The course concludes in May with a symposium to present the students’ year of work.

Advanced STEM project research is a class that teaches students how to plan, carry out, and analyze a research project in the STEM field. Here are some of the projects that this 2024 school year includes:

  • Studying the effects of blood flow on legs after using the Norma Tec
  • Using fruit flies to study the impact of diets and supplements on flies with seizure disorders
  • Looking at growing plants in cold-frame greenhouses outside
  • Hydroponics in grow tents looking for novel antibiotics in soil
  • 3D printing an airplane wing to look at efficiency in a wind tunnel
  • Designing a concussion detection device
  • Designing and building an underwater robot
  • And many more…

Olivia Levesque ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Olivia Levesque ’24, one of the students in Advanced STEM Research, is working on a personal project for a complete year. She said Advanced STEM Research was one of the best learning experiences she had in high school. She chose a research project close to her heart, determining if different breathing exercises result in more aerobic efficiency in athletes. She applied the knowledge she learned while studying the subject to put it into practice in her sport of ski racing.

Ms. Walker believes that courses like these ones help students develop skills. For this class, the main skill is independence. Not many courses in high school require you to think deeply about a project without laid-out methods to follow. Students in this class must work on time management and decision-making and deal with things not working out and restarting.

When the deadline comes, students must create a scientific poster. This poster represents all the effort and time dedicated to this project. We then hold a poster symposium at the Northwood Learning HUB on Main Street that is open to the public. All school students are brought over to see the work. Students who worked on their project then stand by their poster and discuss their work with anyone with questions. This year’s symposium will be on Thursday, May 9th, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Innovation Hub on Main Street. We are excited to see you there.

Photos from the 2023 Student Symposium (Photos by Mr. Michael Aldridge):

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

Creighton Wins Canadian National Championships

March 29, 2024 by

Liz Creighton ’24. Photo: Steve Hilts.

Elizabeth Creighton ’24 is the Canadian National Champion in the slalom discipline following her outstanding performance at Canadian Nationals at Red Mountain Resort. The performance earned her a personal best 23 FIS point result. She is also the U19 Champion in GS. The Mirror’s Lea Lambert ‘24 caught up with Creighton from British Columbia following the race to get Liz’s perspective.

“This is truly a dream come true. Coming back home with the Slalom National Champion title feels completely unreal. Skiing means everything to me. I learned to ski when I was two years old. I wanted to follow my older siblings, who were already skiers. I joined my first ski racing team when I was eight years old.

Liz Creighton ’24. Photo: Steve Hilts.
Liz Creighton ’24. Photo: Steve Hilts.

“When I left for this race series, I aimed to bring back the U19 title. Winning the overall was more than I ever expected. My mindset for these races was the same as my previous races, which was to keep it simple; when I am at the start gate before a race, I always tell myself, ‘Simple, simple, simple.’ When I focus on skiing and turn my head off, that’s when I perform the best. The day before I won the slalom title, I secured the U19 title in GS, which was surprising, as I had been struggling quite a bit in the past few weeks. That good day under my belt took some pressure off before the slalom. Skiing is such a hard sport because most of it is mental.

“The morning of the race, it was really warm, around 60 degrees, which not only made us overheat but made the surface quite soft. The race got delayed, but they still managed to give us a good surface with the help of salt. I was fortunate to start 5th in the first run, so the course wasn’t too rough yet. For the second run, I started 30th. I knew it would be a fight and that I would have to tackle the ruts and soft snow. I could feel the pressure, but being able to manage it and keeping the head in the right place is what separates good skiers from elite skiers. I kept my skiing as simple as possible. I didn’t try to change anything in my preparation and didn’t overthink the process: inspection, visualization, warm up, and go time. What really challenged me was that I almost went out of the course. I had to talk to myself, push as hard as possible, and put every bit of energy I had left in the last few gates. When I got to the bottom of the course, whatever the result was, I was proud because I fought.

“Last year, I didn’t get the results I expected because of some health issues and other difficulties. I didn’t perform like I wanted. I’ve put a lot of effort into the gym, with my mental preparation, a nutritionist, and another specialist who really made a big difference in my preparation. This title represents the culmination of the time and effort I’ve put into skiing in the past few years.

“This title, to me, means motivation to keep putting the work in and keep skiing as fast as possible because hard work does pay off.”

Filed Under: Sports, Top Story

TikTok User Reacts to Potential Ban

March 29, 2024 by

After being named the social media app of the year in 2022, no one imagined that TikTok would be on the verge of disappearing just two years later. Most students have probably heard about the possibility of TikTok getting banned in the United States. Still, after speaking with many Northwood students about this possibility, I realized that most don’t know why TikTok would get banned.

According to The New York Times, “the bill aims to get [the Chinese TikTok owner] ByteDance to sell TikTok to non-Chinese owners within six months. The president would sign off on the sale if it resolved national security concerns. If that sale did not happen, the app would be banned…Representative Mike Gallagher, the Wisconsin Republican who is among the lawmakers leading the bill, said on the floor before the vote that it ‘forces TikTok to break up with the Chinese Communist Party.'” The bill passed the House but still needs to pass the Senate and be signed by President Biden, not to mention clear inevitable legal challenges.

TikTok is a popular social media platform on which users can record themselves dancing or lip-syncing and share it with their followers. TikTok is well known for being a good source of entertainment. An average TikTok user spends 95 minutes on the app daily. People sit down, open their phones, and scroll, looking at people’s lives and the trends. They look at what to cook for dinner, popular fast-food orders, workout videos, and more. TikTok is a great way for businesses to use for marketing and publicity. It also unleashes users’ creativity to create content people can enjoy watching.

If TikTok had such a positive outcome, why would it get banned? Lawmakers have brought concerns about “data privacy” due to TikTok’s China-based company. They believe that sensitive data could be collected and that content might be censored in alignment with the Chinese government. The House bill requires TikTok’s owner to divest its U.S. assets within 165 days or face a total ban in the United States. A Divestment occurs when a company sells some or all its assets.

Currently, TikTok could be on the hook for up to $850 billion in fines. This situation is causing some friction. Users are revolting. They don’t want the app to get banned. The Office of Sen. Thom Tillis is receiving anonymous calls issuing death threats about the banning of TikTok. When we think about it, it is absurd that our society has made it to this point.

Maegan Byrne ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Senior Maegan Byrne is a much-followed TikTok content creator and avid platform user. TikTok is the only platform Byrne is comfortable posting on, and she hopes it doesn’t get banned. “I would be upset if TikTok got banned in the U.S. mostly because of how entertaining it is. I don’t think it’s necessary to post on there for me, but I like watching videos a lot,” Byrne said.

Byrne said she started as a content creator on TikTok, or more accurately, its predecessor. “I started using Musically, which turned into TikTok when I was in middle school. I got it because everyone had it, and it just seemed fun,” she added. Byrne likes that TikTok is less serious than other social media platforms. “I liked making silly videos with my friends. I post more to TikTok than other platforms, mostly because it’s less serious than other platforms. I can be goofy, make jokes, and post pointless things,” she said. “I like to keep my Instagram a little more professional, I guess,” Bryne added.

Byrne, her fellow students, and all of Gen Z anxiously await the fate of the TikTok legislation.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Varsity Senior Night Highlight of Boys’ Hockey Weekend

March 14, 2024 by

Many of our seniors are experiencing their “final moments” at Northwood. For some, it might be the time to close the chapter, but for most, it’s a hard reality to accept. For some, their “last moments” include their last home hockey games, especially on the highly anticipated Senior Night.

Senior members of the 2023-24 Varsity Hockey Team. Photo provided.

Over the weekend, the Varsity Hockey seniors took the stage in their grand finale games versus the Utica Junior Comets. Senior Night is an event held in many high schools to honor the senior athletes at their last home game. It is a moving moment where teammates, family members, friends, and fans come and cheer on their loved ones.

The Varsity team knew it was going to be a challenging weekend. Their opponents have mounted 40 wins on the season. The first game was held on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. in the USA rink. It was fast-paced and the Junior Comets got the best of the Huskies by a score of 5-2. Roman Kravtchouk ‘24 and William Dallaire ‘24 tallied goals in the losing effort.

On Sunday morning, they had their rematch. The team fought hard but ended up losing. Senior Victor Cutting ’24 said having his family up for Senior Night was special. His parents, grandparents, and even cousins were able to come.

Victor Cutting ’24 with his parents. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

The players’ moms planned a touching ceremony after the game that truly made it a memorable experience. Even though the team didn’t get the outcome they were hoping for, some players mentioned that they don’t think the team is defined by the results of this past weekend. They had many great games and big wins throughout the season, which they are very proud of. Cutting added that he is very proud to be part of this team and will forever hold those memories close to his heart.

The Prep hockey had their penultimate weekend of home games. On Friday night, they played Cushing Academy. Unfortunately, they couldn’t manage to pull off the win. The final score was 5-1. Devin Bard ‘24 scored a great goal. The next day, they had a bounce-back opportunity against Lovell Academy. They concluded the weekend on a good note, winning 4-0.

The Prep squad will play their final games of the season next weekend at home. We encourage all Husky fans to join and cheer for all our seniors experiencing their last games.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Civil Unrest in Ecuador Leads to Cancelation of Galapagos LEAP

March 13, 2024 by

Students during a LEAP course to Vietnam in 2023. Photo provided.

“The Adirondack Athlete,” “Farm to Table & Culinary Experience,” “Canines: Understanding Man’s Best Friend,” “Community Service for Early Childhood Education,” and “Fly Fishing.” You might recognize these names from our experiential learning program here at Northwood called ‘LEAP,’ launched in 2017 by Ms. Marcy Fagan, who is also known for teaching Human Biology here at Northwood. When the Head of School, Mr. Michael Maher, asked her to create an experiential learning program for Northwood that would be a signature program that would attract students looking forward to coming to Northwood.

Since then, students have traveled around the world, including to Iceland (six times), Tanzania (twice), St. Lucia (twice), and Vietnam. This spring, trips were planned to the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, civil unrest in Ecuador has disrupted the planned trip to Galapagos.

In January, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency due to civil unrest in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. According to the New York Times, “Noboa declared an internal armed conflict…and ordered the armed forces to ‘neutralize’ two dozen gangs, which he described as ‘terrorist organizations’…Shops, schools, government offices, and buildings were shut down. Workers were sent home, and streets in Quito and Guayaquil were jammed with traffic.”

Ecuador is not only the site of the Galapagos Islands but also home to several Northwood students. Ms. Fagan’s first thoughts were for the safety of their families. After learning that everyone was okay, she needed to decide on going to Galapagos. Fagan canceled the trip because flights needed to be booked, and there was no guarantee that travel to Ecuador would be safe during LEAP.

Thankfully, Ms. Fagan has the experience and ability to pivot and plan a completely new LEAP. Fagan planned a new trip to Costa Rica focusing on student safety. All but two students originally planning to go to the Galapagos will go to Costa Rica. Everyone is super excited about the new trip.

“I was shocked when I heard about the reason Galapagos got canceled, and I am glad we were able to avoid that situation,” said Cara Dempsey ‘25, who is looking forward to Costa Rica.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Humans of Northwood: Mr. Tommy Biesemeyer

March 7, 2024 by

“I always was a competitive person who loves challenges more than anyone, and it all started here, at our Whiteface Mountain, where the Olympic spirit arises. I wasn’t older than 8 when I knew I wanted to be just like my idol, Herman Maier. His aggressive skiing style was my definition of ski racing. I kept a picture of him right above my bed, waking up every morning with this Olympic dream.

“Looking back on my career, I can say that it was a ‘hell of a ride.’ Ski racing comes with a lot of commitment and sacrifice. Throughout my 12-year professional career, I had 11 surgeries. I had to fix multiple ACL, spinal, Achilles, knee, and shoulder injuries. Having the ability to stay positive and believe that I was going to come back stronger was my driving force to prevail through adversity.

“They say, ‘From every low, there arises a high,’ and if I can say anything about that, I’d say that nothing is more rewarding than finding your way out of hell by yourself. I will always remember my first time racing in Hahnenkam, Kitzbühel. I started 51 and finished 21st, and the result catapulted my speed career to the next level, allowing me the chance to compete with the best in the world. My most memorable moment was qualifying for the 2018 Olympic Team. The opportunity to represent your country and, to walk in the opening ceremony as a team and compete for your country was a childhood dream. It makes all the sacrifices and the dark times worth it, and I will forever be grateful for it.

“Even though my life revolved significantly around skiing, I am proud to have finished my business degree after retiring from racing and building the ski program at Northwood School.

“I am also part of the World Cup Dreams Foundation, a project I am proud of, and our goal is to guide student and athletic goals and raise funds for our nation’s best top-level athletes to ensure they are not lost to the cost of sport.

“Despite all my skiing success, my biggest achievement in life is, and will always remain, my wife, Claire, who in a couple of months will be the mother of my child.”

As told to Lea Lambert ’24. Photo: courtesy of World Cup Dreams Foundation.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

Humans of Northwood: Tanner McFaul ‘24

February 28, 2024 by

I grew up practicing fishing, soccer, golfing, and boating. I’ve always loved keeping myself busy, but one thing was occupying my time more than all these activities: hockey. I had my first pair of skates on at four years old, and I knew right away this sport was made for me. Almost fifteen years later, I still enjoy it as much as day one. Before an important game, peanut butter jelly always hits and makes me play well.

When I first came to Northwood, I had a single in Main. It was nice, but I gave up my single to live in Berg; I always wanted to live the experience of having a roommate. I hadn’t known Mathis Baril for a week, and I knew I wanted to be his friend. I thought he seemed like a good person, and I was right. This shows how much being with people I love matters to me. I would be lying if I said we never fight, but we still always figure out a solution. I feel happy when I’m in my room with my roommate and friends. I get to be myself and just have fun.

Northwood has taught me a lot of positive stuff, one of which is pushing myself to my full capacity. Waking up early every morning is a challenge, but I know I’m getting a little better at it every day. Next year, I will certainly miss the bond I have with my Northwood friends, Mathis Baril ‘24, Renaud Lalancette ‘24, Gavin Carr ‘25, Michael Peluso ‘25, Alexis Trudeau ‘24 and the rest of my hockey team.

One of my biggest aspirations in life is to become a billionaire. I am a person who loves challenges. In 5 years, I see myself attending a good college where I can play hockey and get a degree. After college, I would like to live in Boston. I think Boston is a great city. I’ve lived there before and really see myself there in the future.

Outside of hockey, I love fishing and soccer. I also enjoy hanging out with my family on the lake. In the summer, we go boating on Lake Champlain. If I didn’t play hockey, I would probably play golf. One thing most people don’t know about me is this past summer, I got a hole-in-one; a lot of people might think I’m lying, but whoever wants proof, I can show them a video.

As told to Lea Lambert ’24. Photo by Lea Lambert ’24.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Mathis Baril ‘24

February 28, 2024 by

Back in the day, soccer was one of my favorite hobbies; I played competitive soccer until the age of 14. However, I had other interests in my life, and one of them was hockey. I’ve always been undecided between soccer and hockey. I loved both equally and never thought about having the responsibility to dedicate all my attention to only one. Unfortunately, this day came, and I had to choose between the two things I’ve played my whole life. It was a hard decision, but my love for hockey took over.

When I entered Northwood as a senior this year, I knew only Alexis Trudeau ‘24 and Renaud Lalancette ‘24 because we are all from Montreal. It didn’t take me long to feel at home and meet people who soon became like brothers to me. This is something I will be missing next year. I really enjoy spending time with the boys, especially in the locker room before a game. That’s when I feel at home and happy the most.

My favorite meal before a game is some good chicken and rice. I keep it simple because why change a winning recipe? One thing nobody knows about me is I hate chocolate. I’ve always hated it, and I don’t think I’ll ever change my opinion about it.

Leaving Northwood will be hard. I knew I would like it, but I never expected it to become my second home so quickly. Next year, I am looking forward to playing junior hockey. One of my biggest aspirations in life is to keep playing hockey as long as possible. I know it might be challenging, but I can’t wait to see what life has in store for me. When this chapter of my life is over, I will probably be skiing with my friends and my family at Mont St-Sauveur, located in the North of Montreal. Skiing is one of my favorite hobbies since I’ve always been a big fan of the outdoors.

As told to Lea Lambert ’24. Photo by Lea Lambert ’24.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Students’ February Break Plans

February 9, 2024 by

According to most students, we are entering the hardest part of the year. Northwood skiers and hockey players are entering the most challenging part of the season with playoffs FIS races looming. The soccer teams also have a few big tournaments that are coming up. Northwood athletes are always asked to give their maximum effort all year long, but at one point in the year, it gets tiring to manage being a student-athlete. For this reason, Northwood has a traditional mid-winter break in mid-February. Everyone appreciates these 10 days because it gives students a chance to keep up with schoolwork and take a little break before the final push.

Teegan Wardlaw ’25 enjoying the Adirondacks with her family. Photo provided.

Most of the students don’t go home for a long period of time and some even stay the whole week on campus because of games or competitions. I asked around for some of our students’ plans for the Winter Break.

Teegan Wardlaw ‘25 – a day student from Lake Placid – will enjoy the Adirondacks by going skiing at Whiteface Mountain with her family and local friends. She also plans on going to the gym which is her favorite hobby besides skiing.

Sasha Luhur ’27 and her family celebrating Chinese New Year last year. Photo provided.

Sasha Luhur ‘27 (boarding student from Bloomington, Indiana) is going home to celebrate Chinese New Year with her parents. She is excited because she’ll get to have her mom’s Asian food again and celebrate with them. She is also planning on seeing friends from her old skating club, which she is excited about.

Leigh Riffle (a faculty member here at Northwood) is staying in Lake Placid for the week, she will be enjoying calm moments with her family. She and Hannah (her daughter) will be getting a haircut which she is excited about.

Eliza Quackenbush ‘25 (girls’ hockey team) mentioned she wasn’t going back to her home state of Montana. The girls’ hockey team are off to Arlington, Virginia for the week. While they are there, they will be visiting monuments and going shopping, but the main focus of the week will obviously be their hockey games.

FIS team competing at Eastern Cups. Photo provided.

Elleanore Pelletier ‘25 (a FIS member on the Northwood ski team) is also spending her Winter break here in Lake Placid. She will be training at Whiteface and will be competing in some Eastern Cup competitions with other athletes on the FIS team.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Entrepreneurship Class Solves Real-World Business Problem

January 30, 2024 by

To start the second semester, the Entrepreneurship class led by Mr. Thomas “Brody” Broderick came up with the project of solving a real business problem: The Lake Placid Toboggan Chute. If you’ve walked on Main Street before you’ve probably recognized it by its massive size. This 30-foot-high structure sends toboggans down an ice-covered chute onto frozen Mirror Lake. This is one of locals’ and tourists’ favorite activities to do in the winter. It’s the perfect way to get the adrenaline pumping and have fun with friends.

Photo: Village of Lake Placid Parks Dept.
Photo: Village of Lake Placid Parks Dept.
Photo: Village of Lake Placid Parks Dept.
Photo: Village of Lake Placid Parks Dept.
Students at Winter Carnival 2021. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge

Since safe ice is defined as 4” thick for foot traffic, achieving this thickness takes some cold weather, and with global warming, this has become a real challenge for the safety of the Lake Placid Toboggan chute. For many years, they were able to start rides in December, but some years, including 2024, they can’t start until February. With global warming increasing, what will it look like ten years from now? That’s why the Entrepreneurship class decided to take responsibility for finding a solution and developing a pitch for the Village of Lake Placid Parks Department.

To start the project, “Brody” had to interview each student to see their strengths so he could assign team captains. The chosen captains then had the choice to either trade or keep members of their team with other members from other teams if they reached an agreement with another captain. The teams will compete to find the best solution.

This will be an enriching experience for students, pushing them to be creative and work together. Maybe one of our three teams will come up with the best plan for the Lake Placid Toboggan Chute and get to have a lasting impact on our community.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World
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