February 2021 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School by The Evergreen, Greenhill School

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Wednesday, February 24, 2021

How to be successful in Biochemistry (post-AP) Raag Venkat Editor-in-Chief

ut of only four post-Advanced Placement classes offered in the Upper School, Biochemistry is one of the most rigorous courses a Greenhill student can take. Biochemistry is a one-semester postAP course that encompasses a broad range of scientific queries and serves as a foundation for careers in any field pertaining to biology or chemistry. Students explore the molecular and chemical basis for the changes occurring in living cells; the difficulty of material is equivalent to that of a course taken by college juniors. A Biochemistry student must complete either AP Biology or AP Chemistry and have departmental approval to sign up for the course. The course provides a pathway for students to further explore several of the key topics covered in those classes. Biochemistry involves critical readings and discussions, instructor-guided and inquiry-based laboratory activities, and applications with projects involving the isolation and characterization of proteins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Biochemistry students learned to write persuasive scientific articles rather than pursue lab work as their final project. We’ve asked some Biochemistry alumni about the class, and here is what we learned: What topics should you have a solid foundation in going into the course? “Going into Biochem, you should have a strong foundation in both biology and chemistry topics. This includes— but probably isn’t limited to—kinetics, equilibrium and protein dynamics. The Biochemistry units this year were split into three parts: molecular components of cells, proteins and protein dynamics. You

should try to review these topics and the ones suggested above during the summer before Biochem so you are prepared for the readings and fast pace of the course.” – senior Anagha Gouru

importance of cleanliness and precision in biology. This along with learning how to operate a number of different machines to identify samples.” – Michael Rayburn ’20

Any tips to fully grasp the textbook readings in preparation for class discussions? “Readings are so important in Biochemistry because we learn new material fast. My recommendations are to start the reading on weekends before we start the class discussions during the week because I found myself really busy during school weeks. The best way to practice with the concepts from the assigned readings are to do the suggested homework problems at the end of the chapter. They have application and synthesis questions that really prepare you for quizzes and tests that require you to expand upon your learning to answer problems.” – senior Jung Min Yean

Thoughts about the “Journal Club” in Biochemistry? “I loved the Journal Club. Rarely do we ever get to engage in academics beyond what is ‘concrete,’ and exploring novel areas of biology was eye-opening. I read and presented on an article titled ‘Mechanism of Eccentric Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy Secondary to Severe Mitral Regurgitation.’ In summary, it is about the mechanisms that the heart uses to regain functionality after damage, whether that be from a heart attack, or in this study’s case, a cut to a particular place in the heart. Without the Journal Club I wouldn’t be able to have an early introduction to higher academia that I know that I will encounter in the future. Through reading and analyzing the paper, I learned invaluable ways of thinking about data, biology and research that I know will serve me well in the future.” – senior Victoria Le

How did you prepare for quizzes and unit tests? What study techniques did you find helpful? “To study for tests and quizzes, I would use all the resources I had by printing out the slides before class and taking notes on the lecture slides themselves. We also had a great support system in class; I think we were close, and my classmates were a very helpful resource. I found using a mixture of class resources like the textbook in combination with online videos and class lectures the best way to study. Also, there are so many practice questions available that can solidify understanding.” – senior Aminah Asghar What kind of lab work did you do in the course? What skills did you learn from them? “A lot of what I learned was the

What advice would you give to current juniors who are thinking of taking this course next year? “For the juniors taking Biochem next year, I would highly recommend them to take the class if they really want to learn more and have hands-on lab experience about the topics we learned in both biology and chemistry. Sometimes you can feel discouraged by how difficult the material is, but every challenge in learning in this class was also really fun. The information showed me a new perspective for experimentation and science.” – senior Kaylee Chien

Editorial: Campus COVID-19 guidelines should be strictly enforced as more students return

an. 19 saw the official return of all Upper School students who chose to resume in-person classes after four months of alternating weeks at home and on campus. As friends saw each other in person for the first time in months, people flooded into the Student Center, with clusters of Class of ’21 members grabbing their senior blankets and cups of hot chocolate. While the beginning of the semester was a moment of celebratory connection for ex-hybrid learners, it also set a strong tone of casual adherence to pandemic protocols. Nearly a month later, many Greenhill students aren’t comprehending safety guidelines, and it seems that few consequences are being dished out to those students. With the significant increase in the number of students coupled with the necessary decreasing of distance, in-person learners—as well as teachers and faculty— are at a much greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than they were during the first semester. While some classes had less than 20% of their students at a time physically in class during hybrid learning, many classes now have over half of their students in person.

This increased risk of transmission necessitates stricter and more careful adherence to mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines. But as the risk has increased, many students aren’t reflecting that in their safety protocols, with some becoming increasingly careless now that they’re finally able to hang out side by side with many of their friends on the opposite side of the surname alphabet. Students are entirely responsible for their actions; however, the same students who have repeatedly violated health guidelines continue to share in-person classes with students and teachers who are trying to maintain their safety to the fullest extent. As the second semester has progressed, the students standing two feet away from their friends or classmates and the students repeatedly forgetting to put their masks back on as they cross a room have seemingly seen very little consequence. And yet, Greenhill has allowed these same students to remain on campus, furthering the risk of COVID-19 transmission already posed by allowing this many students to return to campus. However, steps have been taken since the semester began. Advisers have received

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the names of students that repeatedly and carelessly violate social distancing; however, what truly matters is what happens with those names. While advisers have these names, the offending students appear to be receiving light punishments that don’t accurately reflect the gravity of their actions. Until enough of the Greenhill—and national—population have received a vaccine so that the spread of COVID-19 is significantly curtailed, there is no compromise. Despite the longing for a “normal” senior year or friends wanting to be able to hang out close together, there should be no compromising the line on safety. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. government, doctors and health officials across the nation have repeated the same mantra: wear a mask, socially distance and wash your hands. To compromise on any of these pieces is to risk the lives of those who, because of personal or familial health risks, don’t have the liberty to go to school or hang out with their friends. It’s the job of Greenhill to tightly enforce these rules—not only for teachers, administrators and other students, but for the country as well.

the Ever Evergreen staff Editors-in-Chief Leah Nutkis Raag Venkat

Executive Editor Lane Herbert

Managing Editors Cam Kettles Sarah Luan

Chief Section Editor Sumana Kethu

Associate Editors Saara Bidiwala Emma Nguyen

News Editor Nate Stitt

Views Editor Diane Lin

Features Editor Khushi Chhaya

Arts Editors Isabel Martinez Valerie Xu

Sports Editor Avery Franks

Backpage Editor Chloe Wetzler

Staff Writers Ria Agarwal Kaden Alibhai Josie Arbuckle Payton Blalock Emma Hoffman Emily Hu Ava Iwakso Max Kettles Eliza Lamster Mateo Lanzillotta Sophia Li

Andrew Mann Emily Quinn Emma Rikalo Stephanie Rojas Nate Rutledge Pooja Sanghvi Hanlon Shedd Helina Tedros Jack Trimmer Ravi Vasan Kaylee Wilson

Adviser

Gregg Jones

Assistant Adviser Amy Bresie

Have a response? Opinion? Original idea? Email the Editors-in-Chief nutkisl21@greenhill.org venkatr21@greenhill.org