Spring Break Brings Big Accomplishments
|
This year's spring break brought more than just rest and relaxation for several Blake students. It also brought some impressive rewards. Here are just some of the accomplishments students reported upon their return to school:
|
|
Marshall Kelner '07, Katy Marshall '08 and Laurie Peltola '09 are members of the Team Braemar Junior Synchronized Skating Team, which won the gold medal at the 2007 Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy held in Zagreb, Croatia, March 15-17. Team Braemar competed as Team USA, representing the United States and U.S. Figure Skating. They placed first in both the short program and the freeskate, winning the overall crown and capturing their first international gold medal. Team Braemar's Junior Team earned its international assignment by medaling at the 2006 U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships. This year the Junior Team finished in third place with a bronze-medal performance at the 2007 U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships held in February in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a result, they have been placed in the U.S. Figure Skating envelope system to receive another international assignment for the 2008 competitive season.
Michael Ankeny '08, the top slalom skier in the nation among those his age, competed against the nation's best of all ages and finished 12th at the US Alpine Nationals in Alaska. Ankeny competed in two downhill races and the Super G, slalom and giant slalom events.
Senior Sarah Schewe was just named Minnesota Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Education Association. As the state winner, Schewe's portfolio will now advance to the national competition, where JEA will select one national winner and five finalists. Winners are selected based on the 36-page journalism portfolio they submit. Schewe's portfolio includes clippings of her work on three school publications — The Spectrum, Flash and 511 Theses — as well as samples of her photography, an article that was published in The Catholic Spirit and an article and photo that were published in the Star Tribune. Several Blake faculty members and Upper School Director Marc Bogursky also submitted glowing recommendations based on Schewe's hard work and the significant contributions she has made through her coverage of serious and topical issues both in and out of the Blake community. Schewe has been invited to speak at the Minnesota High School Press Association Convention in the fall to share tips on making a comprehensive portfolio. According to Minnesota judges, Schewe's portfolio "showed an overall well-rounded student and journalist" and was carefully and beautifully organized.
On March 22, David Cherne '09 received the Caring Youth Recognition Award for his volunteer work with senior residents at St. Therese Southwest Assisted Living. For the past three summers, Cherne has assisted St. Therese residents with weekly grocery shopping, and this past summer he taught computer classes to the senior tenants.
Aditya Venkataraman '12 took second place in the 2007 Minnesota finals of the National Geographic Bee on March 30 at Macalester College in St. Paul. More than 100 students in fourth through eighth grade competed in the preliminary round, answering a variety of questions about world geography. The top 10 scorers advanced to the final round. The tournament included oral and written questions.
|
|
