Once the buses arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown, Sturgis students quickly introduced themselves to their fellow delegates. With fast-approaching deadlines to formulate resolutions that addressed the views of the 193 United Nations member states, delegates had to communicate and collaborate with each other in a timely manner. In the hours leading up to the final committee session, sponsors of different resolutions emphatically shared their views with others to ensure that their resolution would pass. Therefore, it was an incredibly rewarding feeling to hear delegates fill the room with applause after certain resolutions passed.
On the final day of the session, students were able to enter the UN General Assembly Hall for an awards ceremony.
The National High School Model United Nations conference is a perfect platform for students to embody what it means to be an IB student. Both the IB and NHSMUN seek to promote peace and global citizenship. By learning about issues that affect people from all walks of life, students recognize their responsibility to help the global community.
Many thanks to Mr. Fetzer and Ms. Manrique for helping Sturgis East students attend this event. The trip would not have been possible without them. We look forward to seeing Sturgis East’s MUN club take part in NHSMUN again next year.
Spring Sports Begin: Sailing Season
Spring sports have finally begun, and thus the sailing season. The junior varsity team is coached by Coach Mendes, and the varsity team is led by Coach Demmin. Both teams practice at the Bass River Yacht Club.
Sophomore Lyle Edwards is excited to be on the sailing team this year. “I love sailing because it lets me forget about the stress of schoolwork and focus on other things,” says Edwards. “It demands teamwork,” he adds, “so you get to know the person you are sailing with a lot more.”
Best of luck to the sailing team as well as the baseball, track, tennis, lacrosse, and softball teams throughout the 2019 season!
Sturgis Holds Annual IB Expo
The IB Expo recently took place for sophomore students who will be entering the IB program next year. The Expo included many resources to educate sophomores about what the International Baccalaureate entails and class options. Students were given a Sturgis “passport” and traveled from room to room where they could talk with IB teachers from each department. Current IB students were also present to offer advice about the Creativity Activity Service (CAS) portion of the program and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class. Upperclassmen could provide information about their clubs that have helped them fulfill their CAS requirements in enjoyable ways, including the Stepping club, Prom Committee, Key Club, the Sturgis ROVers, Sturgis Singers, STAGE, Yearbook Club, Student Council, Health and Science Club, and more.
Personally, as a current sophomore, I found this year’s IB Expo to be incredibly helpful. Not only did it allow us students to hear from teachers and ask them questions, but it also enabled us to gain insight from upperclassmen going through the IB. Overall, the IB Expo helps make the transition from the pre-IB classes of freshman and sophomore year to the IB courses of junior and senior year much smoother. Many thanks to the IB coordinators for organizing this event!
Sturgis Spring Dance
Sturgis Students’ Work Represented at Scholastic Art & Writing Contest Ceremony
The following is a list of the winners from Sturgis East and West and their awards.
Art:
Noah Davison: Two gold keys, one silver key, three honorable mentions, one national silver medal
Isabella Hassler: One gold key
Lauren Holmes: One gold key, one silver key, three honorable mentions
Chloe Pontes (Sturgis West): One honorable mention
Writing:
Jerry Curran: One gold key
Sturgis East Student Recognized in 2019 Classroom Times
The first place award in the reviews category for students in grades 9-12 went to Caroline Curran, a sophomore at Sturgis East. Her piece was titled, “Film captures women’s fight for voting rights.” It is a review of the film “Iron Jawed Angels” which depicts the women’s suffrage movement of the 19th and 20th century and the organizations that led the fight for voting equality in the United States. Caroline Curran first saw this film in her U.S. History II class, which is taught by Ms. Emily Lambdin.
This year, thirty-eight schools participated in the Classroom Times competition. Congratulations to Caroline Curran and to all of the talented student writers and photographers from Cape and Island schools who submitted a piece this year. If you would like to view the 2019 Classroom Times, visit capecodtimes.com/classroomtimes.
Sturgis Students Take on Italy
I recently interviewed Hunter Crossman, a sophomore who went on the trip, about his experience. “The trip was fast-paced from day one,” Crossman explained. “The places we have seen are amazing and beautiful, from Venice, to Verona, to the amazing city of Trento with its mountains, the bustling city, and the calm that you don’t always find in the U.S. The sense of community is very prevalent. Members of the community frequently interact with one another which honestly surprised me. The food is delicious as well. I have had rabbit, pasta, pastries, and a lot of gelato. The architecture is just astounding. I also got to connect with and form new friendships with fellow students, the chaperones, and my host family. This past week has been one of the best of my life, and I plan on returning to Italy someday.”
Tell me about your day-to-day experiences.
“Each day brought something new. The only real constants of the trip were waking up at 6:30 and eating lunch around 1 and dinner around 8. There was also a lot of walking and reliance on public transportation everyday instead of cars.”
What was your favorite part of the trip?
“My favorite part of the trip was my time in Venice. It was so beautiful and fun. I took a Gondola ride which made it even more special. We then went to two other islands which were also really pretty.”
How was your experience as a student shadowing at an Italian school?
“The Italian school was much more different than I thought it would be. I shadowed in a year 5 (senior) Spanish class. The students there could speak many different languages. Not only did they have language classes such as Spanish, but their history lessons were also entirely in Spanish. This really amazed me.”
How was your experience with your host family?
“My host family was great. They were so nice and such wonderful hosts. They cooked amazing food and were constantly trying to make sure that my roommate, Lyle Edwards, and I were happy and comfortable.”
Many thanks to Mr. Bihl, Mr. Churchill, and Madame O’Keefe for coordinating this exchange.
Sturgis East Presents One-Act Play at Competition
The first student-written, one-act production at Sturgis East was performed on February 8, 9, and 10 at 529 Main Street.
The play is titled “Say Yes!” and follows Marty (Noah Whelpley), a millennial with such a negative attitude that his girlfriend Miriam (Sita McGuire) breaks up with him. In an effort to be more positive, Marty vows to say only “Yes” to every question or opportunity that comes his way for twenty-four hours. This causes him to get involved in a bank robbery spearheaded by the mysterious Tim the Rat (Kelly Gototweski), and a chance encounter with the homeless Pete Reese (Maeve King) may prove to be the key to escaping the situation. At the same time, Marty’s friends Jo (Paige Joy) and Harriet (Grace Ripley) are dealing with problems of their own, and his parents (Patrick Preston and Lucy Knox) are rethinking certain decisions they have made.
The play was written by Carmela Davies, Macklin Devine, Kelly Gototweski, Olivia Wilson, and Rowan Wood. It was directed by Ms. Young and assistant directed by Wilson and Wood.
Sturgis East presented its play alongside Sturgis West’s production of Alan Haehnel’s “A Simple Task.” Both schools brought their plays to the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, which was hosted at Bourne High School on March 2. It was an all-day event that included eight one-acts performed by different high schools from all over Cape Cod.