CA’s Conrad Hall recognized as ‘Outstanding Educator’ by University of Chicago
December 8, 2020
Upper School history teacher Conrad Hall has been recognized as a University of Chicago Outstanding Educator, thanks to a nomination by CA alumnus Jack Todd (’20).
Outstanding Educators, “leave an impression that is carried over a lifetime. An Outstanding Educator thinks carefully about their instruction, shares an infectious love for learning, and cares for their students both inside and outside of the classroom,” according to the University of Chicago’s description of the award.
Hall, who joined CA’s faculty in 1998, is known for sparking new passions for history, developing championship-winning cross country and track and field teams, and stewarding a tightly-knit community of running alumni.
Congratulations, Coach Hall!
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
Last week, I was invited to eavesdrop on a discussion between a small group of employees and Dr. Bettina Love, author of We Want to Do More than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. A note: this year all CA employees are participating in small reading groups centered on anti-racism, and each group is focusing on a different book.
Given that one group was reading Dr. Love’s book, Ms. Johnson-Webb invited her to speak, and Dr. Love kindly agreed. Members of the Leadership Team were invited to observe as well.
Even through the imperfect lens of a Zoom call, Dr. Love and the CA employees talked about a variety of issues and concerns, exploring the complexities and intersections of education and race.
I don’t remember the prompt, but at one point, Dr. Love said, “we need to reframe that basic question that every kid is asked. As adults, we shouldn’t be asking ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’.”
She paused.
“Instead,” she said, “we should be asking ‘What problems do you want to solve?’”
I almost knocked my computer off my desk in my scramble to grab my notebook. What an incredible insight, I thought, scribbling down the quotation.
Since then, I’ve been ruminating on that assertion, teasing it apart, thinking about why it resonates so much for me.
Immediately, the reframed question warmed my English teacher’s heart for rhetorical reasons: Dr. Love shifted the verb from a state-of-being predicate to an action verb, from a static equation to a dynamic process. If there’s one grammatical point that encapsulates the essence of our mission at Cary Academy, it’s that lesson on effective writing: to be a good writer and a good student, one should generally eschew linking verbs and employ action verbs. Good students are not basic unyielding assertions; they are discovering, innovating, collaborating—they are constantly re-creating themselves. They are more than simply a grade on a project, a number on a standardized test, a momentary snapshot on a report card.
Dr. Love’s revised question also reframed the relationship the student has with others. The original question—“what do you want to be when you grow up?”—focuses solely on the individual; it’s all about the “you.” The revised query—“what problems do you want to solve?”—implies a relationship with the people around us. To reframe the question again: how will you help our society?
Finally, I appreciate the new version because it doesn’t end with an implied period (yes, I know, both independent clauses end with a question mark, but you know what I mean). “What do you want to be when you grow up?” contains a degree of finality, the idea that when you reach the mature age of 25? 35? 45? 55? you will know what profession will define you, and then you are done, and you stride into the sunset blissfully, sharing bits of professional wisdom with all around you, your life complete.
Even as I write this sentence, I’m stifling giggles at that concept.
Much better to focus on the changing nature of our interests. “What problems do you want to solve?” allows students to tackle issues now, giving them room to develop skills to explore and address other challenges in the future. In short, the mindset allows for growth.
And that’s vital, given the past eight months.
Consider the recent social upheavals that require moments of development for all of us: we ease out of bed in the morning, and life says, “so, are you going to the grocery store today?” Even the act of buying apples and potatoes becomes a logistical puzzle sometimes akin to solving a Rubik’s cube.
Certainly, our personal lives have continually required us to answer that question. Our professional obligations add to the difficulty.
Cary Academy employees have modeled how to handle all these new challenges. Daily, teachers and staff face constant queries: how shall we teach a face-to-face cohort, a completely virtual cohort, and a two-day-per-week virtual cohort at the same time? How does this new camera work? Where can I record this video for a flipped classroom while not wearing a mask at school? Which way do I walk down this stairway? Once again, I am in awe of my fellow CA employees and how they showcase the ethos of Cary Academy—they consistently hone the skills necessary for discovery, innovation, and collaboration, and if something falls apart today, don’t worry, we have tomorrow, and we will improve. What a fantastic lesson lived every day.
We model Dr. Love’s question every day, but it’s necessary to see—to actually see—the question consciously. So, for ourselves, for each other, for our CA family, for our broader society: what problems do you want to solve?
Many of us would be forgiven for feeling that Hurricane Florence, which roared through North Carolina two years ago this month, was in the far distant past — especially during a pandemic. Anna Newman ’21 would not let current events distract her from helping Ivanhoe, NC, which was devastated by Florence’s floodwaters.
Earlier this year, Newman, whose family roots in Ivanhoe reach back over generations, began planning a furniture drive to provide relief to families who are still rebuilding their lives and their homes.
“The longterm need for recovery should not be forgotten. Twenty percent of the people in Sampson County are living in poverty; many do not have flood insurance and therefore still struggle to refurnish their homes. I thought that having a furniture drive in Ivanhoe would be one way to give back to the community,” explains Newman.
Early in 2020, Newman began working with CA’s Center for Community Engagement to ensure that her efforts helped as many people as possible. Initially, the furniture drive was to take place on April 4, but those plans were derailed as a result of COVID-19. However, the delay allowed Newman to increase the impact of her service efforts, beyond only accepting donating furniture.
“This summer, I raised money for the drive, by washing cars in my neighborhood, which helped pay for furniture purchases at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.”
The rescheduled (and much bigger) furniture drive took place this past Saturday in Ivanhoe. The event, planned to last four hours, had distributed most of the furniture within 45 minutes, providing roughly 70 pieces of furniture to 20 Sampson County families in need.
Noting the assistance from her parents, who helped Ivanhoe residents load furniture into cars and trucks, Newman adds, “we gave priority to people who had water inside their homes and lost all of their belongings; after that, the furniture was open to anyone in the community in need of new furniture. The recovery is far from over, and this furniture drive was a way to help people still in need.”
The Newman family (at left) and residents of Sampson County, NC.
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
Cary Academy students honored as Catalysts for Change
June 10, 2020
At the recent Global Online Academy Catalyst Conference, Cary Academy student Allie Chandler ’22 was awarded the Catalyst for Change Award — the top honor, chosen from amongst hundreds of projects submitted by students from across the U.S. and 18 other countries around the globe.
Chandler’s project, “#ClimateChallenge – How Do We Take Action?” was one of six selected from more than 350 presentations to receive the top prize, for presenting a compelling and inspiring case for change. The award recognizes student learning focused on responding to real-world challenges in local communities.
Chandler’s project, which leveraged social media to encourage communities to be conscientious about their mindset toward change, “gave people basic and fun ways to make a difference,” according to GOA’s Associate Director of Faculty, Susan Fine.
Global Online Academy is a nonprofit organization that reimagines learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. Celebrating its fifth year, the Catalyst Conference brings together students from GOA’s 76 member schools around the world – including Cary Academy – in a fully-online setting to share, connect, learn from, and promote advocacy and local activism.
Congratulations, Allie and Anna!
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”–we are fairly certain that back in their sophomore year when we read A Tale of Two Cities together and spent a full class period discussing the universal application of the first sentence of Charles Dickens’s tome, our students were not thinking how closely their senior year would mimic this sentiment. We, as their English teachers, certainly didn’t.
However, here we are. And in true Class of 2020 fashion, they have demonstrated resilience and fortitude in the face of forces way beyond their control. But we as their Grade Level Leader and Lead Advisor are not surprised. On our class trip to Myrtle Beach, rain interfered with the well-constructed plan for a class photo—not once, not twice—three times. And each time, the members of the class cheerfully donned their class t-shirts (even those shirts that were a bit soiled and smelly) and assembled for a photo. As well, the Class of 2020 embodies innovative practices. They are the first class to have organized a competitive spike ball tournament on their class trip and they left chalkboard space open for messages of support and encouragement to one another in Senior Corner. Members of the Class of 2020 function independently as fierce individuals, but they also value the support and connection of community.
Once we found ourselves forcibly separated by the pandemic, the class leaders immediately brainstormed ways to re-connect everyone and remind them that no matter the separation, they were all still members of the mighty Class of 2020. Kahoot-filled class meetings began almost immediately with students competing over how much they know about one another. These meetings celebrated lively competition, good-natured teasing, and much-missed class bonding. These moments of joy allowed everyone to come together and be appreciative of one another and forget for just a bit that things this year were different. These difficult times also saw the birth of the Instagram account celebrating seniors and their choices for the future; the Class of 2020 once again proved that CA students adapt to all circumstances.
As we say a fond farewell to our seniors, our hearts are selfishly heavy with our own sense of loss but filled with excitement for what this class will achieve. This group of young people truly knows the most valuable life lesson there is: when confronted with the worst of times, turn things around and make them the best of times. Congratulations Class of 2020!
Written by Palmer Seeley, Class of 2020 Grade Level leader and Kara Caccuitto, Class of 2020 Lead Advisor
What does virtual learning look like at Cary Academy? How do you create an environment focused on an innovative, student-centered, holistic approach to learning, when students and faculty are not in the same room (or even the same zip code)? How do we remain true to our mission pillars—discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence—and offer opportunities to keep learning flexible, personal, relevant, and connected during a period of stress, caution, and social distancing? As we head into the final weeks of Trimester 3 and our second month of distance learning, faculty from the Middle School and Upper School share stories of how they and their students have adapted to (and taken advantage of) the virtual learning environment.
Emily Turner, vocal music teacher
What does Emily Turner, director of the Cary Academy Singers, do when virtual choir rehearsals on Zoom simply aren’t possible? She calls in a favor from an old high school friend who just happens to be a Broadway star. While trying to think of ways to keep her Upper School chorus students connected to each other and excited about singing, Emily decided to reach out to her high school friend, Drew Gehling, to ask if he would join a CA Singers Zoom call to talk about his career and offer some inspiration to the students during this virtual learning time.
When she received his response, “Utterly happy to!”, she began emailing the students with one picture clue per day to reveal their mystery Zoom guest. During the call, Drew began by sharing the impact his high school choral music experience has had on his Broadway career, sharing behind-the-scenes stories highlighting the journey to some of his iconic Broadway roles in Jersey Boys and Waitress, as well as his most recent role in the new musical, Almost Famous, from the film of the same name.
The Cary Academy Singers had an opportunity to ask questions and even got to step back in time as Mrs. Turner waxed nostalgic, sharing photos of the two from senior prom and spring break. We are so grateful that Drew could take the time to be with our students and share his positivity and encouraging spirit!
Dr. Paige Meszaros, Upper School social science teacher
As many of us turn to streaming video to pass the time while staying safe at home, documentaries like Tiger King have sparked many questions amongst CA students about the ethics of the exotic animal industry and conservation of endangered species.
During advisory on Monday, May 11, the Class of 2022 took a virtual field trip to the Carolina Tiger Rescue located in Pittsboro, NC. Students met with Katie Cannon, Director of Education, for the tour and a Q & A. Ms. Cannon talked with the students about the history of the site, the care of the animals, and the differences between animal conservation and rescue centers, like the CTR, and other institutions such as amateur zoos and the exotic pet industry.
In particular, the presentation set the context for the recent success of Tiger King and the negative consequences of big cat breeding to produce white tigers. Students and advisors had the opportunity to ask questions about how current disruptions to the meatpacking industry impact the care of the animals.
Sarah Zhao ’22 said, “The tiger field trip was so cool! Seriously…I was taking pictures of the tigers on my phone!” Advisor and Upper School Math teacher John Noland thought, “[it gave] the students (and the advisors) a different look for advisory.”
Connecting the virtual field trip to the 10th grade advisory curriculum focus on community and service, students were able to see an important part of North Carolina’s commitment to good animal stewardship. Many participants have never been to the CTR; the opportunity arose through the efforts of 10th-grade advisor and math teacher, Caydee Revelle. The extended advisory time of 45 minutes and the virtual environment allowed the 10th grade an experiential learning opportunity that would be impossible on campus.
Jasmine Powell, dance teacher
How do the performing arts and physical education – both of which rely on movement in space translate to virtual learning? That’s exactly the conundrum that faced dance teacher Jasmine Powell in her Movement for Athletes class. Like her colleagues, she had to pivot the content and application of material to a virtual learning platform, giving her the opportunity to try something new: Parkour.
For Powell, Parkour is less about jumping from building to building, and more about laying the foundations of learning movement technique. Even when confined to basic vaults out of safety concerns, Parkour has much to offer athletes by challenging their risk-taking skills in the process of obtaining growth.
After working to ensure students took safety precautions and used proper technique (teaching proper alignment while landing in a low squat, showing how to fall properly to facilitate a smooth rebound to get back in the game as quickly as possible, etc.), Powell’s students designed parkour courses via hand-drawn plans or in Minecraft virtual environments, before putting them to the test in the real world.
Follow-up took place in group discussions about the process and shared lessons about fitness and hand-eye coordination. Students really enjoyed being assigned the task of going outside and being physically fit, while practicing parkour. It’s not every day that a graduating senior can say they learned parkour in high school!
Katie Taylor, Middle School language arts department leader
“Shabazz Week” with local poet Phillip Shabazz has been a fixture of the 6th grade curriculum since the late 1990s. Since students and Shabazz couldn’t be together, the 6th grade team found creative ways to transition in-person experiences to a virtual world, having Shabazz connect with students via Zoom.
There was a snag, though: Shabazz had never used Zoom before and didn’t have a computer with the necessary hardware. Cary Academy’s IS department (in particular Kevin Rokuskie) was able to loan Shabazz a tablet and meet with him to help him become a whiz with the Zoom software.
Though the faculty team would have preferred an in-person workshop, the students had a great experience. One student remarked, “My poem writing I think has gotten a lot better and quicker; this is because now I know the steps to writing a poem and even got professional suggestions. Now I know how to write a clean and smooth poem!”
In addition, the 6th grade team was excited to add a mindful movement workshop to this year’s curriculum, through a PTAA grant, to welcome Wake Forest’s “Flow Circus” to campus on March 26. When CA made the transition to virtual, cancelation looked inevitable.
Wanting to support our local partners and knowing how much students would love it, the team worked with Flow Circus to create a video series specific to Cary Academy that students can watch as their schedules allow. These videos are packed with lots of little inside jokes and specific curriculum geared towards our students’ needs.
Students have enjoyed watching the videos and learning how to juggle: “I really like how we are doing something fun aside of classes.”
Meredith Stewart, Middle School social studies department leader and David Snively, MS social studies teacher
Exploration of history took on a very contemporary twist as the 8th grade Watergate trial simulation took place on Zoom this year, in the same way actual U.S. courts have moved online.
Taking place in an alternate version of history, where Nixon decides not to resign after being impeached by the House of Representatives, in the simulation, 8th graders act as attorneys arguing before Senators (played by Upper School students) as to whether Nixon should be removed from office. Other 8th graders serve as witnesses called to testify about their interactions with Nixon and other players in the Watergate scandal.
Hewing true to the alternate history scenario, two different simulation sessions produced different results: Nixon was exonerated in one trial and removed from office in the other.
Shawn Nix, debate teacher
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, the Speech and Debate team was in the process of prepping for the most competitive part of the year: district qualifier to the annual National Speech and Debate Association Championship in June, the Tournament of Champions, NCFL championships and our North Carolina State Championships.
While the NCFL and State Championships were cancelled, the other major competitions went forward, virtually. That meant CA Speech and Debate had to figure out how to use a new platform to create reasonably professional videos of our speech competitors, learn how to share evidence between partners — across town from each other — during live debates in Public Forum and how to capture attention to speak in large Zoom congressional sessions.
Aside from a few starts and stops — from “please put a cushion on your chair so the judge sees more than your forehead”, to well, some expressions of “frustration” on the 10th attempt to perfect a speech, with limited space to move and a verbal slip-up on minute 9 – CA Speech and Debate students rose to the occasion!
Shawn Nix found the number of hours her students gave to perfecting their performance, getting their tape just right and figuring out how to debate on-line inspiring. Despite the difficulties, the team has many qualifiers for the big dance in June, including Will Aarons ’20 in Lincoln Douglas, Saajan Patel’20 and Jay Sagrolikar ’21 in Congress (Congress qualifying in February), Vicky Jin ’21 and Anisha Rustogi ’21 in Extemp, Bayla Sheshadri ’21 in OO, Sydney Tai ’22 in POI, Arielle Curtis ’21 in Dramatic Interpretation, Alex Lim ’20 in Humorous Interpretation with others making it to the final rounds.
Robin Follet, Head of Upper School; Kristi McGauley, Upper School English teacher; Jamie Roszel, U.S. English teacher; and Palmer Seeley, U.S. English teacher
The US English Department was eagerly anticipating a new elective for all juniors this Spring: Rhetoric and Citizenship. The course sets out to combine a classic study of the art of argumentation while empowering students to choose a contemporary social issue to research and explore through a core nonfiction text as well as peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. Students then form panels based on shared areas of interest, develop a guiding panel question, and compose a speech in answer to the question.
By far, the highlight of the course is the Social Issues in America Conference, which follows more than a month of independent research and lessons on — and practice with — identifying and strategically implementing rhetorical appeals, strategies, and devices. The conference consists of a series of panel presentations where groups present their answers to their peers with a follow-up Q&A session.
Panels address a wide range of questions from What is the biggest problem in medicine today, and how should we solve it?to Does a democratic government have a fundamental obligation to be transparent to its constituents?to How can we design our society, through changes in our homes, schools, and workplaces, to help people reach their maximum creative potential?
Once teachers Robin Follet, Kristi McGauley, Jamie Roszel, and Palmer Seeley realized that the panel presentations would need to pivot to a virtual platform, they got to work adjusting expectations and establishing guidelines for meaningful conversations. Using Zoom, panelists have been able to present their speeches from a safe distance. Meanwhile, audience members use the chat feature to pose questions to specific speakers which then allows the panelists to expand on the depth and breadth of their knowledge. At the end of the Q&A, everyone gives a hand clap reaction for a job well done. Where normally CA community members are invited to drop in and participate in the audience, now they can view the presentations via the community Stream channel.
Written by Mandy Dailey, Director of Communications
Softball celebrates ‘senior night’ while social distancing
April 28, 2020
COVID-19 may have canceled the Spring 2020 athletics season, but social distancing and the shift to virtual learning haven’t dampened our athletes’ sense of camaraderie. This morning, on the day of what would have been the Class of 2020’s senior game, the Nesbith sisters — all members of the Cary Academy softball team — and softball parent Shannon Flynn celebrated seniors Amy Han and Claire Marshall by decorating their homes.
“It shows that our team is still a team, even if we are stuck in quarantine; we are all still thinking of each other. Its just really nice,” said a tearful Han.
WTVD ABC11 was on-hand to capture the smiles and tears, and join in the expressions of appreciation.
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
As Jared Carson learned at CA, when it comes to sustainability, it’s often the little things we do as individuals that add up to the biggest community impacts. At CA, our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint and increase our sustainable practices come from every corner of campus.
The newly formed Middle School Green Club is looking at ways to reduce campus waste. They aim to reduce printing by at least 25 percent through an information campaign that advocates utilizing smaller fonts, double-sided printing, and electronic distribution of materials.
The Sustainability Committee of the Upper School’s Delta Service Club has worked with Upper School science department chair Heidi Maloy to revitalize the garden behind the Center for Math and Science; volunteered with NC State to help realize their goal of a zero waste football gameday; screened the documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power for interested students; and spun plastic yarn from plastic bags to create sleeping pads for distribution to local non-profits that support people experiencing homelessness.
The CA SEEDS Club has been working to increase the amount that we compost and reduce trash and recyclable use. The club has created new signage and re-thought the arrangement of waste bins in the Dining Hall to reduce bottlenecks and promote better waste practices. From the beginning of the school year to February, CA has diverted 20,287 pounds of food waste to the compost pile, avoiding 2,368 pounds of methane production (nearly as much as 400 cars produce in a week).
Sustainable dishes and utensils are already in use in the Dining Hall, but their use is becoming more widespread throughout campus. The new café features paper straws and compostable cups. And all CA employees have been provided reusable tumblers in order to enjoy their beverage of choice with a minimal environmental impact.
For the first time, Taste and Toast utilized 100 percent reusable drinkware and dishes. And Ubuntu’s International Café used compostable materials, diverting more than 2,700 plates, 1,700 utensils, and 325 gallons of waste from the landfill. For future events, the PTAA has stocked 40 reusable table covers that will reduce the use of single-use plastic tablecloths for events of all sizes.
When we return to campus, a joint effort between the PTAA’s new Green Committee and CA’s Business Office will encourage parents to turn off their car engines while waiting to pick-up or drop-off students during carline.
Finally, our Business Office has worked with Wake County’s Habitat (Re)Store and the Public Schools of Robeson County to provide furniture from classrooms and the Dining Hall for reuse, rather than disposal.
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
Upper School
Billboards showcase CA student’s award-winning artwork statewide
Death rays & grains of sand: The sweet science of a physics fight
April 20, 2020
Upper School physics teacher Dr. Matt Greenwolfe has a lot of faith in his physics students.
Even so, when he founded Cary Academy’s U.S. Association for Young Physicists Tournament (USAYPT) team five years ago, the idea of winning a USAYPT Championship seemed a far-flung dream. But after years of hard work, perseverance, and teamwork, he and his team of talented students can count it as a dream finally realized.
In early February, 12 members of CA’s USAYPT team*—Will Aarons ’20, Anna Cheng ’20, Colin Frazer ’22, Paul Ibrahim ’21, Myla James ’21, Owen Kadis ’23, Andrew Lake ’22, Matthew Modi ’20, Obinna Modilim ’22, Jay Sagrolikar ’21, Brian Wei ’22, and Colin Zhu ’20–traveled to the annual tournament in Exeter, New Hampshire. Led by Greenwolfe and fellow faculty members Charlotte Kelly, Dr. Robert Coven, and Dick Mentock, with assistance from Rachel Atay, and Betsy MacDonald, they were crowned USAPYT champions.
Greenwolfe is still smiling. “When the second-place team was announced, we all erupted. I had a physical, whole-body reaction, and a huge grin on my face. After trying for so many years to keep improving, we had done it.”
The U.S. Invitational Young Physicists Tournament is a prestigious international physics research competition and science debate tournament. Over the course of the year, competing schools research solutions to four complex physics problems, coming together to debate their solutions in front of a jury of professional physicists.
For 2020, the USAYPT problems involved measuring the length of one Astronomical Unit (the distance between the Earth and the sun), investigating Archimedes’ Death Ray, designing stable arrangements of spherical magnets, and exploring the physics of the apparent weight of an hourglass.
“For the students who fully commit themselves, the amount of physics learning that takes place through this program can dwarf what is learned in class,” offers Greenwolfe. “Plus, they get the experience of undertaking a legitimate research project–with all its ups and downs and frustrations–for a whole year. We have to learn from each setback, each surprising result. We have to persist—and that’s just what we did.”
Tournament competition consists of rounds called “physics fights.” A student from the reporting team presents a summary of their research into one of the tournament problems. Next, a student from the opposing team is charged with helping the audience understand the strengths and weaknesses of the report by means of a series of discussion questions. After this conversation is complete, jury members question the presenting students directly. USAYPT teams are judged as much on their ability to ask and answer questions in the physics fight, as the quality of their research and initial presentations.
After facing reigning champions Phillips Exeter Academy, perennial powerhouse Phillips Andover Academy, and a team from the Republic of Georgia, CA stood in third place after the first day of the tournament, securing a spot in the finals. When the dust settled at the end of the second day, CA stood atop the standings of the six finalist teams—besting Phillips Exeter and the Nueva School for the championship–on the strength of their original research, presentations, and questions.
In addition to top-notch mathematical physics, Greenwolfe credits his team’s hard work, teamwork, and deep engagement with the problems as contributing to their success. Rather than relying on simulations developed by professionals or online data sets, the team worked hard all year to gather their own data. They tested it against their theories and their own simulations, discussing and debating it amongst themselves every step of the way.
Ultimately, those efforts resulted in a deeper conceptual understanding of the problems and left them well-prepared for tournament debate. “We could reason and answer unexpected questions without going back to a reference or equation,” explains Greenwolfe.
“We were professional in our questioning of other teams; we were always respectful, persistent in trying to have a deep conversation about the physics. We never intentionally tried to expose flaws or embarrass the other team,” he offers.
And now that they’ve reached the pinnacle, what comes next? The team is already gearing up for next year’s tournament, which CA will host at North Carolina State University. And they’re already pondering next year’s problems and are ready to get to work.
*In addition to the 12 members of the traveling team, fellow team members Russell Burns ’21, Ryan Chen ’21, Felipe Chiavegatto ’20, Harrison Coman ’23, Dane Fekete ’20, Allen He ’21, Sedef Iz ’22, Grace Jaeger-Sandruck ’22, Marvin Koonce ’21, Max Li ’23, Sophia Liu ’22, Scott Matton ’20, Rin Mauney ’22, Ashleigh Smith ’22, Eric Wang ’20, Oliver Wang ’22, Leah Wiebe ’23, Eric Xing ’20, and Han Zhang ’21 also made contributions to the problem-solving efforts.
Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager
