The 2018 Senior Project Fair

Amy An & Kristina Yarovinsky
Hacking the Hilltopper
Adviser: Dr. Encarnacao Rep: Ms. Leite Course Swap: French 4 / Spanish 4
Test your Hopkins trivia knowledge with this fun app featuring questions about diversity, sports teams, and even your favorite faculty members!

Mira Arbonies
When I Grow Up: a trilogy of short fiction
Adviser: Mr. Ridky Rep: Mr. Johnson Course Swap: Constitutional Law
My project is a trilogy of short fictional stories that follows the journey of a woman at three different phases in her life. Looking for direction in regards to a career path, this project served as an exploration of choices and options. She starts with a pure passion as a young girl, an examination of realistic opportunities as a new college graduate, and finds a balance between innate desire and practicality in her middle-age.

Sanjna Bandaru
Learning the Moves
Adviser: Ms. Lane Rep: Mr. Johnson Course Swap: AP Latin
For my senior project, I examined the art form of Bharatanatyam, a major genre of classical Indian dance. I learned 68 hand gestures of the dance also known as hastas and put together a photo journal for these gestures. I also studied the rich history of Bharatanatyam and its ways of storytelling!

Annie Banks & Libby Gardner
Tie Dye For Treatmen
Adviser: Mr. Thornburgh Rep: Mr. Maharidge Course Swap: Math 65
We participated in a study of small business and economics through creating our own company, Tie Dye For Treatment. TFT is a tie dye tshirt company founded to explore the inner workings of business and also raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Karyn Bartosic
Spying on the Spies: a look into the history of the CIA
Adviser: Mr. Gette Rep: Mr. Levy Course Swap: Greek 4
Over the past few weeks I took a dive into the complicated history of the Central Intelligence Agency. I read five books which explored the agency’s founding, structure, and actions (that have been classified), attempting to learn more about an organization that relies on secrecy. It has been interesting, if a little scary, so come talk to me about the history, the influential figures, or the CIA today!

Jeffrey Basta
Debut Album
Adviser: Mr. Guthrie Rep: Mr. Byron Course Swap: AP Computer Science
This spring I have worked to complete Akero, a ten track album based on my mother’s childhood stories and her journey from Korea. With nearly all the music and lyrics written beforehand, my time was spent on the production. Combining modern electronic themes and traditional Korean instruments, I attempted to cultivate a distinct style, not only through unique production, but also with rich and meaningful songwriting and storytelling. My genre would be best described as indie-electronic.

Avi Bhaya
The Role of Gender in Movies
Adviser: Mr. Melchinger Rep: Ms. Lane Course Swap: Constitutional Law
This project is two versions of the same script shot with the two actors swapping roles. The goal of this exercise is to reveal how big an effect the gender of the actors plays on the viewing experience.

Zander Blitzer
Taking Back the House
Adviser: Mr. Melchinger Rep: Ms. Schroth Course Swap: AP Spanish 5
A passion for The West Wing inspired me to write two episodes of my own president-centric political drama, entitled Taking Back the House. Taking on hot button issues such as gun control, abortion, and national security, I learned what it takes to bring legitimate political discourse to life on television.

Kyle Burton
Partnered Earth: on the coevolution of hummingbirds and flora
Adviser: Dr. Cox Rep: Ms. Bray Course Swap: AP Spanish 5
I wrote a 10 page disquisition on the observed coevolution of hummingbirds and the flowers from which they feed, especially in the Andes region of South America; it includes sections dedicated to the origin of the hummingbird in the Americas, evolutionary mechanisms, and coevolved characteristics of hummingbirds and plants. This project entailed a lot of research into the topic, the writing process, and the completion of a hand drawn diagram depicting a specific example of this coevolution. It is my hope that, at the senior project fair, I will be able to talk at length about the topic and prove a certain level of expertise in this subject matter.

Emilia Cottignoli
Why Go Under the Knife?
Adviser: Ms. E. Gleason Rep: Ms. Nicolelli Course Swap: none
I researched South Korea’s relationship to Western civilizations, and found it to be one of deeply rooted cultural hegemony, ethnic integrity, and standards of beauty. I traced its origins from the end of World War II in Japan to current day Korean society, studying cultural and medical theory that explains South Korea’s drive to create a unique culture of their own that now equates beauty with social capital, promoted via abundant cosmetic surgery and publicized by popular media.

Julia Cusick
Street Photography and Portraiture
Adviser: Mr. Melchinger Rep: Ms. Lane Course Swap: AP Physics
I explored street photography in New Haven by capturing people’s actions in an urban setting.
I also experimented with communicating with subjects, and examining the differences between photographs of people I talked to and basic candid street photography.

David Darrow
Form and Functions: the Math in Art and the Art of Math
Advisers: Mr. Gold & Mr. Hart Rep: Dr. Gries Course Swap: ½ English, ½ AP Spanish 5
For this project, I wrote two 15 page texts on the mathematics behind different art forms. The first document discusses perspective drawing and painting, focusing largely on the side-by-side development of mathematics and artistic techniques. The second document covers sound and music, with topics ranging from the physics of loudspeakers and ears to the mathematics of tuning instruments.

Jonathan DeLeon & Owen Rahr
Adviser: Mr. K. Anderson Rep: Mr. Smith Course Swap: none
A love of the retro vibes of arcade cabinets and a desire to modernize the design brought us to marry the two in our creation: THE JUICEBOX. Starting from amateur woodworking and electrical experience, we managed to create a machine for enjoying arcade games. Our final product is a sleek and functional two-player tabletop arcade cabinet, with a library of the greatest hits from the golden age of arcade gaming, in addition to classic home console games up to the PlayStation.

Georgia Doolittle
From Yeast to West: an examination of colonialism through British baking
Adviser: Mr. Gette Rep: Ms. J. Gleason Course Swap: Applied Math
The goal of my project is to look at traditional British baked goods from the medieval era to modern day, and track the way that some of the ingredients arrived in Britain. Although food is not something usually covered in history classes, the origin and production of certain ingredients is often very closely tied in with both colonial conquests and slavery. This blog is my own personal effort to learn more about the global circulation of ingredients and examine the everyday effects of this colonial practice.

Catherine duBoulay
Carrom and Crokinole: A Study of Tabletop Games through Woodworking
Adviser: Mr. Mueller Rep: Ms. Leite Course Swap: AP Physics
I worked with Mr. Mueller to build two tabletop board games, Carrom and Crokinole. The goal of my project was to further develop my woodworking skills while also learning about the history of the two games.

Grace El-Fishaway
Beyond the Merger: Essays on Coeducation at Hopkins School
Adviser: Ms. Nicolelli Rep: Ms. Leite Course Swap: Great Novels
I researched the 1972 merger between girls school Day Prospect Hill (DPH) and boys school Hopkins Grammar School (HGS) that resulted in the coeducational institution, Hopkins School, we know today. Combining archival research, and one-on-one interviews, I worked to unearth as many stories of the merger as possible. In my writing, I strove to give voice to a diversity of perspectives and experiences as well as wrestle with the personal and historical implications of such a complicated history.

Nikhil Etikela
The World of Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Regulation
Adviser: Mr. Thornburgh Rep: Ms. Lane Course Swap: AP Chinese 4
Bitcoin took the world by storm in late 2017: it was all the buzz by finance experts worldwide.
To better understand the nuances in cryptocurrency, I bought my own share of bitcoin and talked about its potential with a Goldman Sachs ForEx VP. If you'd like to learn more about the future of international currency and its relation to stocks, governments, and crime, come look for me at the Senior Project Fair.

Isabella Feder
The Left Brain and Right Brain of Color Theory
Adviser: Mr. Ziou Rep: Mr. Werrell Course Swap: Math 60
My project looks at how the human brain interprets color in different ways, both optically and psychologically. This study led me to a much deeper understanding of why we relate certain colors to memory and feelings, which has helped me to see how creativity and artistic expression is linked to de-stressing and relieving anxiety.

Declan Goulding
Adventures in Songwriting
Adviser: Ms. Schroth Rep: Mr. Melchinger Course Swap: Math 65
How do you write a song? Guided my passion for music and playing guitar, I wrote three original songs in the style of alternative rock, and recorded rough demos of them.

Donasia Gray
Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart: Understanding my place as a black woman in the living legacy of American non-violent resistance
Adviser: Mr. Melchinger Rep: Mr. Levy Course Swap: AP Biology
I went back to the dojo to train in Sanuces Ryu (self-defense) ju-jitsu.
At the same time, I researched and interviewed to learn about how I can better stand up for myself and handle aggression without being dismissed as “angry.”

Bryan Gu & Neal Sarin
Humans of New Haven
Adviser: Ms. Ratcliffe Rep: Mr. Lytle Course Swap: French 6 Honors / Math 79
Much like the popular Humans of New York, our project was to document the stories of “average” New Haven citizens by posting quotes and pictures to an Instagram account. We also kept a journal to track our progress and serve as advice for anyone attempting a similar project. We discovered that the people who we all pass every day on the street have fascinating and unexpected stories, if you just stop to ask.

Jeffrey Gu & Erin Knox & Sam Phelan & Naomi Roberts
Senior Video
Adviser: Ms. Hartup Rep: Ms. Bray Course Swap: AP Physics / AP Physics / AP US History / Math 65
The Senior Video encapsulates the spirit of the Class of 2018 through the medium of film.
This task included maneuvering the schedules of peers in order to get envisioned shots, manipulation of sequences, and learning the ins and outs of what it means to make deadlines on a long term project with partners.

Jenn Horkovich
Filling in the Blanks: What Happened Other than the Trail of Tears
Adviser: Mr. DeNaples Rep: Mr. Lytle Course Swap: AP Spanish 5
This project is a collection of extensive research I did on Native Americans from pre-contact to the modern day. From this information, I have created proposed lesson plans and powerpoints to fit into the current mandatory Hopkins history requirements that will hopefully be implemented in future years.

Madison Howard
Performance Series
Adviser: Mr. Werrell Rep: Ms. Lane Course Swap: AP Chinese 4
Over the past few weeks, I have performed eight times.
Throughout this process, I have kept a journal to reflect in on a variety of topics ranging from repertoire to the role of practice to mental health.

Madison Howard
A “Polarizing” Project: Quantum Computing
Adviser: Ms. Wiesner Rep: Dr. Gries Course Swap: AP Computer Science
Over the past few weeks, I have used a variety of different sources to learn about quantum computers. I self-studied chapters from a CalTech course, watched several lectures by noted physicists, and read research papers about entanglement gates. I have used all of this to create a “guide” to quantum computers that discusses many of their most confusing features in a hopefully more illuminating way.

Alex Kane & Ed Martin
The Bipartisans
Adviser: Mr. Levy Rep: Ms. Nicolelli Course Swap: Spanish 6 Honors / Math 65
We argued about politics and recorded it for your enjoyment.
We also wrote about politics for those who don’t want to have their ears bleed.

Helena Lyng-Olsen
The Hopkins Grammar Day Prospect Hill Chronicles, 1940-present
Adviser: Ms. Ratcliffe Rep: Mr. Johnson Course Swap: Spanish
I listened to ten alumni and faculty from HGS, DPH, PHS, and Hopkins share their memories, with the goal of preserving their school-related anecdotes for posterity. While their time at this school is recorded on one level by data in yearbooks and newspapers past, many of the personal, vivid recollections that define an experience lie not on paper, but rather in memory, which, like everything natural, is ephemeral. Step into the lives of these thoughtful people, whose years here ranged from 1948 to 2009, as they take you back in time to life at our school throughout the decades.

Neil Madhavani & Phil Schmitt
OG VAN: The Off-Grid Vehicle for Amazing Napping
Adviser: Mr. Byron Rep: Ms. Bray Course Swap: AP Statistics / Spanish 6 Honors
We converted a 1999 Ford E-350 Extended Cargo van into an off-grid living solution, including a fully functional electrical system with solar panels, a battery, lights and outlets. The walls, floor, and ceiling were insulated with reflective insulation as well as rigid foam, covered in plywood, and the floor was finished with vinyl flooring while the walls and ceiling were finished with reclaimed pallet boards.

Chantel Malin
Visions in Sound: an Exploration in Music Appreciation
Adviser: Mr. Taylor Rep: Ms. Schroth Course Swap: About Poetry
Visual art and music are two of the most powerful and important forces in my life. Synesthesia is a condition that causes a perceptual crossing of the senses, and I utilized my associations between sound and color to combine these two passions to create paintings as a way of expressing my love and appreciation for some of my favorite songs.

Gyan Maria
Transcription of Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir De Florence”
Adviser: Ms. Schroth Rep: Mr. Pizarro Course Swap: Math 65
I have transcribed the second movement of Tchaikovsky's famous string sextet for piano. My initial transcription was for one piano, but it is now partially transcribed for two pianos.

AJ Marks
PlayRight
Adviser: Mr. Czepiel Rep: Mr. Werrell Course Swap: AP Latin: Vergil
I have created a fun board game that fully relies on skill and teamwork: PlayRight. The game will be left in Upper Heath throughout the project fair and beyond to allow everyone a chance to play, so get some friends together, look for the dark maroon box, and start playing. Just remember to Play Right!

Leigh Melillo
The Land of Saudade: An Exercise in Fantasy World-Building
Adviser: Ms. Cahn Rep: Ms. Nicolelli Course Swap: Math 52
For the last two years, I have been imagining a fantasy world inspired by the likes of Harry Potter, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Lord of the Rings, but never had the chance to write it down; for the last two months, I’ve been writing it down. Using the popular online encyclopedia-builder site, Wikia, I’ve created Saudade: a fictional fantasy world that could one day play host to a series like those previously mentioned. At my booth, you will find information, images, drabbles, and even BuzzFeed quizzes related to the story—so stop by and check it out!

Abigail Miller
Back to Celsus: An examination of De Medicina
Adviser: Mr. Pizarro Rep: Mr. Lytle Course Swap: AP Physics
For my senior project I translated portions of Celsus’ De Medicina, a medical text written in Latin some time before 47 CE. Come learn about the etymology of medical terms, ancient medical procedures by an author who might not have been a practicing physician, and the process of translating.

Drew Mindell
Fever Dreams And Decorative Seams: The Creation Of A Musical Rebellion
Adviser: Mr. Calderone Rep: Mr. Byron Course Swap: Spanish 6 Honors
What started as a half-asleep glimpse of an idea has developed into the libretto
(dialogue and lyrics) of an original musical. Prep tells the story of a group of boarding school students fighting gender discrimination and antiquated thinking, while struggling not to turn the fight in on each other.

Isabelle Potash
Snapchatting Meaningful Employment
Adviser: Mr. Ayer Rep: Ms. Schroth Course Swap: Math 65
For my project, I helped to develop a Snapchat account that the Prospector Theater can use for marketing. The Prospector is a non-profit movie theater dedicated to providing meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. The Snapchat account will help spread the mission and target a younger age group than their other social media pages.

Zack Putnam
Learning Adobe Illustrator
Adviser: Ms. Williams Rep: Ms. Bray Course Swap: Intro to Economics
I spent my project getting to know some of the many intricacies of the complicated software that is Adobe Illustrator. I learned many of the several tools while increasing my confidence in my workflow in the program.

Mack Reiferson
It’s Greek To Me
Adviser: Mr. Anderson Rep: Mr. Pizarro Course Swap: AP Statistics
Have you ever wondered if people today can speak dead languages? In order to expand my understanding of Ancient Greek, I practiced writing drills which focused on specific aspects of Greek grammar, as well as speaking drills with Mr. Anderson. I also challenged myself to occasionally think and text in Ancient Greek.

Andrew Roberge
The Bethany Airport: a snapshot of 1920s small town history
Adviser: Mr. Phipps Rep: Ms. J. Gleason Course Swap: AP Statistics
The history of the Bethany Airport (1923-1962), serving as a private airfield and US airmail station among other things, is important to both Bethany and the United States as a whole. To commemorate the history of the airport and airfield I made scale model depicting the main plane hangar, the field’s 2 runways, a small restaurant named Ivar’s (a favorite of the pilots) across the street, a supply shed, planes, and other features, as they may have appeared in the late 1920s.

Emily Ruan
A Sociological Lens into Squash: Empathy & Leadership
Adviser: Mr. Gibbon Rep: Ms. J. Gleason Course Swap: AP Computer Science
Is a leader’s effectiveness dependent on skill level? On being extroverted? Or curiousity? Or none of the above? This spring, I worked with Squash Pro and Varsity Boy’s Squash Coach, Sean Gibbon, during the G Block Informals Squash class to examine leadership in an athletic setting. My daily journal includes observations in my role as an assistant pro and notes on specific student leadership situations. Other observations explore the relationship between “empathy” and taking action based on an emotional understanding of others.

Eli Sabin
Mr. Sabin Goes to Hartford
Adviser: Mr. Roberts Rep: Mr. Maharidge
Course Swaps: Multivariable Calculus; Constitutional Law; Spanish 6 Honors
For my senior project, I spent seven weeks immersing myself in Connecticut politics. I worked as an intern in the state legislature for Representative Roland Lemar, a Democrat from New Haven, and I worked on policy and communications for Arunan Arulampalam’s campaign for state Treasurer. My experiences gave me insights into the processes of government, the inner-workings of political campaigns, and the challenges our state faces.

Michael Satanovsky & Abir Singh
The Segway
Adviser: Mr. Taylor Rep: Dr. Gries Course Swap: AP Spanish 5
A segway is “a two-wheeled motorized personal vehicle consisting of a platform for the feet mounted above an axle and an upright post surmounted by handles.” We built the segway in an eight week span and we worked on it in a variety of locations, including the woodshop and the robotics room. The finished product is a fully functioning segway complete with lean-controls and buttons to steer.

Nia Simmons
The Visual Language: An In-Depth Study of American Sign Language
Adviser: Mr. Melchinger Rep: Mr. Werrell Course Swap: AP Physics
Over the past couple of months I have been studying American Sign Language. I have used an online program to learn the signs as well as the grammar and culture of American Sign Language. Towards the end of my project, I met with a group of other ASL learners, and we communicated solely through American Sign Language.

Gigi Speer
A Sweet and Savory Story
Adviser: Ms. Bray Rep: Mr. Maharidge Course Swap: AP Chem
A collection of recipes from people I know and love, strangers, and myself. From bolognese to fried plantains, these recipes cover a wide range of deliciousness and are sure to make your mouth water, while the stories that come along with them will make you think, laugh, or even cry. Bon appetit!

Lissy Stanley
Trading Places: dance student to teacher
Adviser: Ms. Bennitt Rep: Ms. Chavez Course Swap: AP Physics
For the past six weeks I have been working at my dance studio, and learning what it takes to keep the studio up and running. For my presentation, I have a collection of photos and videos of my own choreography, as well as many interesting stories.

Sasha Starovoitov
The Fairytale Formula
Adviser: Mr. Johnson Rep: Mr. Lytle Course Swap: Great Novels
Taking inspiration from traditional Russian fairy tales and fiction by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya and Gogol, I wrote a collection of five short stories that delves into the fairy tale genre. My project explores traditional tropes and archetypes while experimenting with contemporary writing techniques to push the fairy tale form into different territory.

Skyler Sugar
Tragic Prelude: The Plainsman or A Short Break From Pasture Work
Advisers: Mr. Werrell & Ms. Westbrook Rep: Mr. Melchinger Course Swap: Math 60
For my senior project, I have written the first act and treatment of an absurdist, period, drama, entitled Tragic Prelude: The Plainsman or A Short Break From Pasture Work. This feature-length screenplay details the trials and tribulations of the fun-to-hate painter, Barry Yeller. After his expulsion from art school, the death of his son, and a bone-shaking religious awakening, Barry finds himself forging famous artwork in 1930’s Kansas. But when Yeller becomes an overnight sensation, he travels the world to discover the perturbing, guerilla, colossus that his artistry and fame have earned him.

Katrina Tiktinsky
A Study on Memorials
Image result for statue of freedomImage result for southport great swamp fight monument
Adviser: Mr. Ziou Rep: Mr. Byron Course Swap: AP Physics
I researched monuments that commemorate problematic events or individuals, and noted situations in which a monument was missing — where a piece of history had been ignored. I wrote about these memorials, and then conceptualized a few of my own.

Lilly Tipton
Nature in New Haven: Volunteering with the Urban Resources Initiative
Adviser: Mr. Ridky Rep: Ms. Lane Course Swap: none
This Spring I interned with the Urban Resources Initiative, a non profit organization in New Haven that plants trees in low income neighborhood for free and transforms abandoned lots into urban parks while providing job training to local community members. I also researched the history of the urban environmental movement and its conflict with traditional environmentalism.

Andrew Treat
Mentoring with a Baseball Mitt
Advisers: Mr. Young & Mr. Faust Rep: Ms. J. Gleason Course Swap: AP Latin
My senior project focused on building leadership skills through coaching the Junior School Baseball team. Working in conjunction with head coaches Mr. Young and Mr. Faust, my project has accumulated to a final paper on leadership and a daily journal reflecting upon each day of practice.

Hannah Volk
From Joplin to Brubeck: Jazz Improvisation Through the Ages
Adviser: Mr. Smith Rep: Ms. Schroth Course Swap: Great Novels
Over the past six weeks, I have learned how to improvise on the piano in three different styles of jazz: ragtime, bebop, and cool jazz. I studied a piece called “Honeysuckle Rose” (1929) and learned how to play a difficult ragtime baseline and improvise at the same time. For bebop, I revived the song “Blue Monk” (1952) and learned how to play Thelonious Monk’s dissonant style of improvisation. Finally, I studied the song “Girl from Ipanema” (1962) and learned to improvise in the West Coast jazz style. In addition to playing these subgenres, I researched each one and wrote small articles about their history, typical characteristics, and founders.

Clayton Wackerman
Poetry in the Primrose
Adviser: Ms. Jacox Rep: Mr. Pizarro Course Swap: Forensics
For the past six weeks, I have been gallivanting around Connecticut state parks, taking pictures of plants, and writing poems about them. This anthology is a confluence of my passions for both writing and photography. Much of the poetry is centered around my childhood, my faith, and my general love for the natural world.

Jacob Wolfe
Films and Fathers: My Paternal Journey Through Cinema
Adviser: Mr. Peters Rep: Ms. Nicolelli Course Swap: About Poetry
I watched 10 movies, ranging from Almost Famous to There Will Be Blood, involving parental or mentor relationships. I used these films as a jumping point to write about various aspects of my own relationship with my dad.