Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
During the final four weeks of school, Derryfield seniors pursue an outside interest as part of their Independent Senior Project (ISP). At Community Meeting on May 27, Lydia Taylor, Nabh Patel, Will Dainiak, Ali Cole, Natalie Duncan, Mia Freund, Caroline Barrett, Ben Truebe and Avi Ullal gave a synopsis of their work.
Becky Barsi, ISP co-coordinator, opened the program,
“Each spring, seniors step away from classes to design and pursue independent projects in experiences that reflect their interests, challenge their thinking, and prepare them for future endeavors. These projects take many forms, including internships, creative endeavors, research projects and community initiatives.
Joe Acone, co-coordinator, added,
“This is more than just a chance to leave campus, it is an opportunity to take ownership of learning, to follow a passion, wherever it may lead.”
The first presenter, Lydia Taylor, discussed her project, in which she explored the intersectionality between music therapy and speech therapy. As part of her research, she shadowed speech therapists at a community music school, a school and an outpatient clinic. Taylor also created mock lesson plans, and an interactive session experience. In the fall, she will be matriculating at Vanderbilt University, where she intends to continue her study of speech therapy.
For their ISP, Nabh Patel and Will Dainiak aimed to create a 25 minute film, an experience new to both of them. They needed to learn how to: use film cameras, light interiors, and capture clear audio. Their cast included a plethora of Derryfield faculty members, in a film that revolves around a struggling accountant assistant, who is drowning in debt and desperate to save his family from financial ruin, only to cross the line into fraud. The appreciative crowd gave the short clip shown at Community Meeting a rousing reception.
Next up was Ali Cole, whose goal during her ISP was to “create a robotic arm from scratch.” A self-described “robotics nerd,” she based her design on “inspiration from images of larger manufacturing bots from Google.” Cole worked with CAD software (OnShape), and used a 3D printer to test pieces for mechanical parts. There was a lot of trial and error during the course of her project. During her first week she noted in her online journal:
“I had a solid amount of trouble having prints stick to the board again today. Luckily, prints that failed seemed to do so within the first few layers, meaning I only lost about 5 minutes or so each time one failed. But 5 minutes x 10 or so failed attempts starts to add up! Luckily, after a full day of 3D printing, I discovered certain steps that seem to be working to give my prints the highest chances of printing correctly.”
Taking their studies farther afield, Natalie Duncan and Mia Freund spent their ISP working on a dairy farm in Athlone, Ireland. Their goal was to learn about proper farm animal care, tools, and procedures. They also explored the culture of Ireland, using videos and photos to document their journey. Duncan’s journal post from their first day shows the breath of their activities.
“Today we went on a 4 mile walk to raise money for mental health in sports. On this walk, we met many members of the community (all who were amazed we were American!). We then met some of my family members who live across the farm. Then later in the day we got suited up to work on the farm. We were mostly watching today and learning. We bottle fed a three day old calf. We learned about the feed that they get each day and what is made of. We watched the milking, feeding, and grazing process. Also, they drink a lot of tea as part of their culture. We had three cups yesterday and four today!”
Caroline Barrett explored how New England mythology intersects with its general history. She researched and documented two sites, wrote scripts, and conducted paranormal investigations. In her Week 1 Reflection, Barrett explained how she chose her ISP topic:
“Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by the paranormal. While the occult has intrigued me, I never really believed in it, and I largely regarded the occurrence of “paranormal activity” to be artificially constructed for entertainment. Or, it was just a way for people to rationalize seemingly inexplicable events. Yet, a part of me, albeit small, always wondered if there was any validity to the existence of the supernatural. Ghost hunting was a fun way for me to indulge in one of my interests. I also believe that it offers an accessible framework for a deeper exploration of New England’s historical sites and could be a great format to educate people on New England mythology, which itself is important since mythology provides us with valuable insight into the greater collective identity of New England.”
The program concluded with a presentation from Ben Truebe and Avi Ullal, who chose to build a wooden boat from scratch. They both needed to learn how to utilize all the tools necessary for this project. The learning curve was steep, and the process took more hours than they anticipated, but by the end of the second week Ullal wrote in his journal:
“Wow, this is starting to look like a boat! We nailed and caulked side panels into the stern, then we took the V and bent the back sides to round the panels, nailing a center frame in the middle to get them to wrap around, and finally the transom in the back to connect the side panels. We then used a Japanese hand saw (whaaaaaaat) to cut angles for the chines. I am hoping we can nail and glue those in tomorrow!”
The ISP experience concluded on May 28 with ISPalooza, where all the students presented their projects in a conference format at The Matarese Commons.
We invite you to check-out all the Senior Independent Projects at: photos.derryfield.org.
