Sixteenth Annual THE
George A. Roeper FESTIVAL OF
SENIOR PROJECTS presented by
The Class of 2022 THURSDAY, MAY 19 & FRIDAY, MAY 20 7:00PM R. DEAN ACHESON THEATER & THE BAKER-PECK HALL birmingham campus
Welcome George A. Roeper Festival of Senior Projects! TO THE 16TH ANNUAL
The George A. Roeper Senior Project is designed to encourage and allow students to follow their personal passions — a capstone project, if you will, of their education here at The Roeper School. Each senior is mentored by members of our faculty, and/ or professionals in their respective areas of interest outside the Roeper community. This event is more than a display of self-directed student work, but a celebration of their lives and our time spent together in them. The members of the Class of 2022 who are part of this year’s Festival ccontinue the tradition of excellence, having excelled in so many areas. I’m very proud of this group of artists, athletes, actors, writers, scientists, philanthropists, and musicians. They’re a young group with an already long story to tell, full of experiences that have shaped who they are today. I hope that when they talk of their days at Roeper — and of their days growing up with the many opportunities afforded to them to explore anything and everything — they’ll fondly remember this experience, just as we will fondly remember them. Thank you for joining us to celebrate their very important work — enjoy!
Jason McIntosh Senior Projects Coordinator Interim Director, Middle School Dean of Admissions, Middle/Upper School
2022 Project Participants Thursday, May 19
Friday, May 20
Chase Wade Ben Wedepohl Ian Brown Kourtney Laury William Mattison Ethan White Matteo Papadopoulos
Adam Cornier-Bridgeforth William Bieneman Bella Vartanian Audrey DeGuia Ryan Neihsl Rosalyn Li Andrew & Christopher Mojares
Chase Wade HANGING ON HIGH: A COLLECTION BY CHASE WADE
Hanging On High is a collection of poetry, short stories, photography, and essays by Chase Wade. It focuses on the totalizing emotion of longing and the residual warmth of self-acceptance. With photographs doused in both elegant and haunting black and white, Wade reminds us that the past never really leaves but returns in layered memories and cycles. His short stories explore the cruelty and hope in American cities, where he carefully plucks a sense of otherness dormant in our most defenseless or casual settings. The center focus of the collection aligns in the closing essay, a rumination on the poetry of Ocean Vuong, his forward-thinking methods of writing, and their place in creating a better future. With a mode of ultimate healing, this collection does not sacrifice the pain of the past, but rather encourages us to embrace the paths forward that we have so long been afraid to walk. Advisor: Kelly McDowell Special Thanks:
Thank you to Kelly McDowell, for your guidance, for always being flexible and for believing in me. Thank you to everyone at MOCAD; I cherish the experiences and community I’ve gained these past years. Thank you to the writers who inspire me to try new techniques, to believe in myself and make mistakes. Thank you to my mentors; you all have been plentiful, and your support has helped me more than you know. Thank you to mom, dad, and Nana for helping me grow a little more every day and for helping m to revise this collection.
Ben Wedepohl ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY: A COSMIC REFLECTION
Photographing and learning about the night sky around us, and how to understand it.
Advisor: Andrew Blechman Special Thanks:
Thank you to my family for supporting me in countless ways, including my parents’ staying out all night with me while I shoot. Special thanks to Sam O’Connell and Nick Bradley for helping me get set up and get started, along with all the members of the astrophotography community!
Ian Brown TEACHING MATHEMATICS INTUITIVELY
People often shy away from mathematics because they feel it is too abstract to interpret. So, the goal of my project was and is to teach mathematics with an emphasis on theory and proofs, but to do so intuitively. I chose to teach linear algebra, a fascinating and notoriously abstract subject, but also one with few prerequisites. For this project, I created a series of video lessons on my YouTube channel, “Ian Brown Math.” This project taught me presentation skills, demanded that I reexamine linear algebra more rigorously, and gave me the opportunity to develop new skills such as video editing. I hope future Roeper students will study linear algebra and find my videos helpful.
Advisor: Andrew Blechman
Special Thanks: I’d like to thank Andrew Blechman for advising this project and providing advice about the format and content of my videos. I’d also like to thank my friends and family for showing such enthusiasm about this project and about my interest in mathematics.
Kourtney Laury THE BLACK INFLUENCE
A seminar discussing the influence and role that African Americans have in the music industry. The special guests will discuss their careers and the influence they’ve had on their community as Black musicians.
Advisor: Eric Ambrose
Special Thanks: To Randy Scott, Kevin Laury (Dad), Kyle Bradford (Brother), and Eric Ambrose for guiding me through this experience.
William Mattison LOWER SCHOOL ROBOTICS CLUB
This year I worked to design and execute an introductory robotics course at the Lower School. I created this club with the intent to provide Stage IV students with the opportunity to explore their interests in robotics. Throughout the club, students developed skills in building, programming, and collaborative work. I also worked to ensure that the club will be able to function in the coming years and continue in my absence. Advisor: Special Thanks:
Amy Romano Amy, thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement in this process. You inspired me to take on this challenge and provided me with the opportunity to help give back to the school by doing something I love. Paula, thank you for all of your support behind the scenes; without you I would never have been able to fill the club with the awesome Stage IV students. An additional thank you to Paula and Amy for helping manage the chaos during the club to try to keep some semblance of quiet. Stage IV robotics students, I cannot thank you enough. You guys are the ones that made this project truly an awesome experience. Seeing how much you loved and enjoyed the club made every second worth it. Last, I would like to thank Wendy; I couldn’t have asked for a better coach and mentor. Thank you so much for everything that you have put into the robotics program at Roeper, I have no doubt it will continue to grow.
Ethan White WARCRAFT: MODERN TACTICS
Warcraft: Modern Tactics was a third-quarter course delving into modern military tactics at the squad (~10 soldiers) and platoon (~40 soldiers) level. We learned about and discussed the applications of small-unit tactics including basic maneuver, guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency tactics, ambushes, raid tactics, defensive tactics, and urban warfare. The class drew upon accounts of real battles, investigations of military theory/US combat doctrine, and the knowledge of the veteran community. Some of the battles discussed included: the Battle of COP Keating (2009), Hamburger Hill (1969), Al-Busayyah (1991), the Battle of Mogadishu (1993), and the Bin Laden raid (2011).
Advisor: Mike Ruddy Special Thanks: I would like to thank Mike Ruddy for advising my project and helping me adjust to present content in a more cohesive way. I would also like to thank all current and past members of the military for their service. Last but not least, I would like to thank Linda Pence for showing me back in 6th grade that school doesn’t always have to be about traditional topics.
Matteo Papadopoulos I became interested in “uncovering” the Tuna at the start of the year when I realized just how little I knew about the Tuna’s history. I sat down with Roeper alumni and former Tunas to gather as much as I could about how the Tuna came to be, with the aim of disseminating this information throughout the Roeper community. To modernize the Tuna, I decided to create a new costume for the Tuna to replace the current body, which, sadly, has not withstood the test of time. This cape will hopefully be of use to future Tunas during sports games.
Advisor: Sara Mendez
Special Thanks:
First off, I’d like to thank Sara Mendez for helping me out every step of the way in creating the cape. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to everyone who sat down with me and shared an anecdote or two about the Tuna. You all were great primary sources! Lastly, a thank you to my mom who aided in this project’s symbolic and creative evolution.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY MORROW
UNCOVERING AND MODERNIZING THE FIGHTING TUNA
Adam CornierBridgeforth CREATING A FULL MUSICAL ALBUM I spent my senior year creating an album written, arranged, and performed by me. I took this opportunity to expand my knowledge of musical production in a digital audio workstation (DAW) and take my music and narrative composition to the next level by creating a full-length, narrative-driven album. Working in collaboration with William Bieneman, a music video was created, adding more depth using film as another mode of expression. This album is focused on social commentary and self-reflection, ranging from generational trauma to more personal traumas, and my struggle working through them. In 12 songs total, each a step closer, leading out of the darkness. Advisor: Susannah Nichols Special Thanks:
I would like to thank Susannah Nichols for all her help and encouragement thoughout this sometimes arduous and painful process, and for having my back when things got down to the wire. I would also like to thank William Bieneman for all his hard work on the video and for the hours spent filming in less than perfect outdoor conditions. And finally, I would like to thank my Mom for always supporting me and keeping my best interests at heart; none of this would be possible without you.
William Bieneman SULLIVAN MEDIA COMPANY
When I was coming up with my senior project, I wanted to pursue a lot of different passions — applications of graphic design, web development, and entrepreneurship. Using my pre-existing skills in video editing, the idea of starting a video production company was born (okay, more like marketing myself as a freelance video editor, but that doesn’t sound as cool). Throughout the project, I designed a brand identity, website, and started working with clients to deliver their projects.
Advisor: Ttari Hellmer
Special Thanks:
To Adam Cornier-Bridgeforth, who collaborated with me to produce a music video for his song Work for Idle Hands, and his was the first project I have produced under this project. And to Ttari Hellmer, whose expertise and support were vital to my success.
Bella Vartanian UMATTER CLUB UMatter is a nation-wide program focused on empowering teens to shatter the stigmas surrounding mental health challenges and suicide. Friendship Circle defines UMatter week as: “… a program that was initiated in high schools. It is a weeklong campaign that focuses on spreading the message that each individual matters. It consists of teacher TEDTalks, hall decorations, an essay contest, a speaker on the topic of mental health, SafeTALK training, and more.” Roeper UMatter Club’s goal is to end the stigma around mental health at Roeper and encourage students to learn and talk about mental health. The main thing UMatter works on is planning UMatter week. This year our UMatter week consisted of many different activities and dressup themes. We provided the students with free smoothies for breakfast, brought in therapy dogs, wrote letters of gratitude to staff, set up a huge game of just dance, distributed markers and coloring pages, hosted games outside, projected a movie, and more. Additionally, we had discussions in homerooms led by volunteer facilitators. Our goal was to look into how the student body thinks we can improve mental health at Roeper. My hope is that this week allowed the students to take time to reflect and take some time for themselves, and that Roeper can use this as a learning opportunity to grow and improve. Advisor: Mentor: Special Thanks:
Reanne Young Hannah Wise ’21 I want to thank Hannah Wise for all of the guidance she provided me and for trusting me to carry on her project. The 2021-22 UMatter Club members, volunteer facilitators and the varsity girls’ soccer team, who helped me execute the week. Reanne Young, who helped me plan and collect all the supplies for the week, and additionally, helped me manage my workload. Most importantly I want to thank the Roeper community/ student body for giving me this opportunity to share my passion for mental health and for participating in all the activities and discussions.
Audrey DeGuia EMPOWERING WOMEN IN STEM: EXPLORING AND DISMANTLING GENDER DISPARITIES IN STEM FIELDS
My intent with this project was to learn more about the experiences of women, particularly women of color, in STEM fields. I also aimed to increase awareness in the community about this topic and the challenges that female scientists face throughout their careers. To do this, I organized a showing of the film Picture a Scientist to the Birmingham campus, which highlighted gender discrimination/biases in STEM. I then hosted a panel consisting of Roeper alumnae — all women in science fields who shared their experiences and offered insights on this issue. Additionally, I was able to teach the Intro Physics classes a short seminar on women in physics and the disparities in this area. I hope this project helps to eventually increase the number of female students in higher level science classes at Roeper and spark more interest in science fields. Advisor: Barbara Lasecki-Webb Alumnae Guests: Victoria Moore (’08) Sarah Skoropa (’12) Zoe Demko (’13) Special Thanks:
I would like to thank Victoria, Sarah, and Zoe for being guests on my panel and for sharing their valuable ideas. I would also like to thank Karen and Gretchen for helping me set up different aspects of my project. Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me, and to Barb — thank you for being my advisor and for your guidance and help throughout the whole year.
Ryan Neihsl THE ATHENA PROJECT
I have created a self-guided curriculum that will give individual responsibility to each student and to allow the students to indulge in their curiosity regardless of their learning style or neurodivergence.
Advisor: Dan Jacobs
Special Thanks: To Dan Jacobs without whom this project would not be possible.
Rosalyn Li LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE FOR ROEPER
I want to give more Roeper students the opportunity to learn about Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, so I created this project. Through my time in debate, I have learned countless invaluable skills, from research to public speaking to critical thinking. However, L-D debate on the national circuit faces a serious problem: the barrier to entry is very high due to factors like jargon and scarcity of resources for smaller schools. Through various presentations and additional resources on topics from specific debate arguments to tournament logistics, I hope to introduce circuit L-D debate to more students.
Advisor: Dan Jacobs
Special Thanks:
I would like to thank Dan Jacobs for his constant support and willingness to hear me break down arguments past midnight at tournaments. I would also like to thank my parents for the constant encouragement they give me. Finally, I would like to thank my older brother, Richard, for introducing me to debate and being the best debate partner.
Andrew & Christopher Mojares LIVER — CREATING AN ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Over the course of the year, the two of us created an animated short film with little to no prior experience. This process included initial brainstorming, plot writing, scene planning, storyboarding, filming and editing a reference video from which we then created 2D drawings and 3D digital animations, compositing and editing, and music and foley composition. All of these elements were combined to form our short film, Liver.
Advisors: Kelly McDowell and Eric Ambrose Special Thanks:
Thank you so much, Kelly and Eric: without your support and guidance, we would not have been able to do this; you constantly gave us motivation, encouragement, and the belief in us that we felt from you two was an invaluably important part of what made this project possible. Also, thank you to our parents for not questioning Curfie’s running around in a wig and knee-high socks for the reference videos ...
Please join us for
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES for the
CLASS OF 2022 Sunday, June 5 at Noon Wildwood Amphitheater Lake Orion, Michigan
THE ROEPER SCHOOL educating and inspiring gifted students to think as individuals and to engage as a community with compassion for each other and this world
Middle/Upper School 1051 OAKLAND AVENUE BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 248.203.7405 www.roeper.org david h. feldman, head of school karen johnson, upper school director