Upper
March 18, 2022
“Grey’s Anatomy” Star, Alum Visits for Civic Engagement Day
E.R. Fightmaster ’10 spoke to Upper School students in The Schiff Center about media representation and the importance of empathy as part of their keynote speech for Civic Engagement Day, focusing on media literacy. “You are watching television because you have empathy for the people on your screen. If your screen has a lot of diverse representation, then you are developing empathy for different people. Empathy is this thing that fills your cup while filling the cups of other people. Empathy is what makes you charismatic, it is what makes you warm. Empathy takes your talent to a level that people want to see it. It is all about empathy,” they said. Fightmaster, the first nonbinary cast member on “Grey’s Anatomy,” talked about how being exposed to diversity helped them realize their own identity. “When you are encountering people who are not like you, you have the unique opportunity of learning more about yourself. It is so nice, you guys,” they said. The day was planned and organized by English teacher Marielle Newton, and history teachers Eric O’Connor and Kyla Young. As part of the day, students participated in a media representation game show and a media literacy escape room. Fightmaster answered student questions over lunch and did improv with theater teacher Marc Raia’s improv class. Students ended the day by filming video reflections of their takeaways of what they learned.
Mock Trial Competes at State
Two Seven Hills mock trial teams qualified for and competed at the state competition. “We frequently have one or two teams advance to regionals but have never had all three, and only one team in my time here has made it to state before this year,” said Upper School history teacher Dan Polifka, who has coached the team for eight years. The team, captained by seniors Manan Vij and Kathryn Guo, played the roles of attorneys and witnesses on both sides of a fictional case about a restaurant owner suing the governor and health commissioner over COVID restrictions that forced their business to close. The team got the details of the case in September and practiced for several months before taking part in three rounds of competitions: districts, regionals, and state. “They’ve prepared really well and all three of our teams put on great performances, and we’ve had, frankly, unprecedented success,” Polifka said.
Seven Hills Names Hauck Scholarship Winners
Seven Hills has awarded the 2022 Frederick Hauck Scholarship to eighth grader Ethan Avera, sophomore Dhanush Bearelly, and juniors Christy Baldwin, Shanaya Bharucha, Rohan Nambiar, and Jack Ringel. The Hauck Scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in math or science. Recipients are chosen based on their academic achievement in math and science and a demonstrated special interest in math and science outside of the classroom. The award is named after Dr. Frederick A. Hauck, a world-renowned nuclear scientist, and philanthropist. He served on the Atomic Energy Commission and worked closely with Albert Einstein. In addition to his scientific achievement, he was a businessman, explorer, historian, industrialist, metallurgist, nature lover, and humanitarian. Winning students entering grades nine through 12 receive a one-year scholarship of $1,000 to be applied to next school year’s tuition at Seven Hills’ Upper School.
Stingers Medal at Science Olympiad
Congratulations to the 11 students who medaled at the Southwest Ohio Regional Science Olympiad on March 5. The Ohio Science Olympiad is a competition to increase and improve students’ science education by testing them in eight competitive events, from Codebusters, which tests cryptanalyzing and decoding skills, to It’s About Time, for which they must construct a non-electric device to measure time. Freshmen Andrew Zhou and Kyle Wang placed second in the Gravity Vehicle event. Seniors Evan Michelman and Sebastian Rodriguez placed third in the Dynamic Planet event. Senior Angel Liang and sophomore Diana Zhangplaced fourth in Cell Biology. Junior Shanaya Bharucha and Michelman took fourth in Rocks and Minerals. Rodriguez and senior Manan Vij placed fifth in the It’s About Time event. Senior Aditi Sinha and junior Erin Finn took fifth in Environmental Chemistry. Vij and senior Robby Ligeralde took sixth in Codebusters. Liangand Zhang placed sixth in Chemistry Lab.
Equity and Inclusion Council teaches about bias
Over brunch in the library, Upper School students learned about types of bias and how it affects them as part of the Equity and Inclusion Council’s first event. With the help of Upper School diversity initiatives leader Amaris White and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Racheal Quinn, members of the council explained the difference between implicit and explicit bias. They also asked their classmates to identify examples of bias, such as negative associations about race and ethnicity. Council members shared tips for students to unlearn their own bias.
HOSA Chapter is State Bound
Three Health Occupation Students of America, or HOSA, teams placed in the top four in their events at the regional competition and qualified for the state competition in late March. Juniors Abigail Li and Ellie Cainand juniors Edie Tesfaye and Ella Dubay qualified in the forensic science event. Sophomores Lidya Tesfaye, Megha Gaitonde, Jenna Alshami, and Magnolia Fan qualified for the health education event. Juniors Alisha Khan and Riley deBuys and sophomores Evelyn Gao and Julie Jiang also competed in the forensic science event. Sophomores Dhanush Bearelly and Nathan Wang competed in the health career display. Seven Hills’ HOSA chapter began this year and helps students pursue an interest in health sciences and medical fields. The club had two bake sales this year raising more than $600 for Be the Match Foundation.
Fly Fishing Basics
In Kristen Bowman’s physical education class, sophomores learned the ins and outs of fly fishing from the experts from Buckeye United Fly Fishing. Students learned about safety, the equipment needed, and the difference between spin casting and fly fishing. Students then made their own lures and practiced their casting techniques in the Field House.
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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