On May 4, 2019, the Sturgis ROVers attended the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) competition for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The competition, which was held at Sandwich High School, included many schools from across Massachusetts and New York.
The Sturgis ROVers designed and put together their ROV across the span of the school year. The ROV itself has various features that allow it to complete tasks designated by the MATE competition. The team constructed a water sampler on the ROV, for example, which can be used to test the pH of a collected sample.
At the end of the competition, the Sturgis ROVers were awarded the team spirit award. Congratulations to the team for its success!
Sophomores Embark on Physics Field Trip to Six Flags
While riding the bus on the way to the theme park, students were given a physics packet that featured problems associated with topics such as acceleration, inertia, velocity, and centrifugal force. Students were encouraged to work on the packets before and after entering the park, and the packets were collected as the students got off the buses in the evening.
At Six Flags, students were given free rein to enjoy the park for the day and a buffet lunch was provided.
Mr. Nystrom hopes that this trip will become an annual event. “I think it was really successful,” he mused.
Sturgis Theater Arts Holds Auditions for Fall Musical
On Tuesday, May 14, auditions for the fall musical Legally Blonde were held at Sturgis West. The auditions were open to incoming freshman that will attend Sturgis East or West next year as well as rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
The director is Ms. Young, the theater teacher at East, and Cayde Barerra is the assistant director. Music teachers Ms. Sheeler and Ms. Gentile were also in attendance. Juniors Julia Keeling and Ava Mark are the stage managers.
Callbacks took place two days later. The cast list was released the following Monday but was missing three key parts: the three male leads of Warner, Emmett and Professor Callahan. Three people were considered for the roles -- sophomores Connor McInerney and Christopher Luz Roque, and freshman Hugo Gizzi. A second callback, specifically for those three, took place Thursday, May 23. McInerney ended up as Callahan, Luz Roque as Emmett and Gizzi as Warner.
“The cast list is finally out!” said an overjoyed Ms. Young. “It was a really hard decision, and we decided to cast everyone, so we have a cast of about seventy students. Our stage is going to be full, there will be lots of energy, and I’m really excited to get started!”
The first read-through of the script is on Tuesday, June 4.
Sturgis East Awards Night
Teachers prepared short speeches for each student, and the students met their teachers on stage to receive their awards.
To conclude the event, the school Spirit Awards and William Sturgis Awards were each given to one boy and one girl. The Spirit Award goes to two students who find ways to embody school spirit, whether through participating in clubs, sports, or being a positive influence in the classroom. The William Sturgis Award goes to two students who exemplify the ideals of a Sturgis student. The recipients were voted for by the student body and decided upon by faculty.
The winners of the Spirit Award were junior Whitney Meritus and senior Aidan Smith, while Cece Kane and Will Furtado (both seniors) were selected for the William Sturgis Award.
Many thanks to the Sturgis East administration for hosting this event.
Sophomores Attend Girls’ STEM Summit
The summit included many hands-on career sessions. From chromatography to mechanical engineering, the sessions demonstrated a day in the life of a scientist and the vast array of STEM careers from which to choose. We had the opportunity to code with computers, carry out physics experiments, design products, and much more.
In addition to the career sessions, we heard from many women of various disciplines within STEM fields. Lauren Schumacher, the Vice President of Goldman Sachs, was the keynote speaker. “One roadblock shouldn’t deter you from pursuing a career in a STEM field,” she said. While offering advice from her experience in STEM, Schumacher assured us, “Don’t get discouraged. The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
As a young female student interested in STEM, I found the summit to be very inspiring. For me, the STEM Summit highlighted the continued need for more girls in STEM to bridge the gender gap as well as how important and engaging these fields can be.
Until next year!
Sturgis East Prom 2019
The Sturgis East Prom took place on May 25. For a complete collection of photos from the prom, visit Jarvis Chen’s website at https://jarvischen.zenfolio.com/eastprom2019.
Sturgis East Field Day
Sturgis East students started off their Memorial Day Weekend on the right note during field day. Held at St. John Paul II High School, the event allowed students to play an assortment of games such as basketball, frisbee, and cornhole after enjoying a cookout. Many thanks to those who donated food for Field Day and to the Student Council for organizing the event.