Abhik Mzumder. Photos courtesy of Upper Arlington City Schools
Academic All-Stars
Junior Morgan Leff won the 2016 Ohio Wesleyan University History Prize for her essay entitled “Bunmei Kaika: Government Influence on Daily Life in Meiji Era Japan.” The essay will be published in the upcoming issue of the Ohio Wesleyan Journal of History. Leff’s classmate, Clare Maves, was the runner-up.
Seniors Claire Mitchell and Tory Loux were recognized for their exceptional writing skills by the National Council of Teachers of English. Mitchell and Loux submitted two original works for consideration and received Certificates for Superior Writing as part of the Achievement Awards in Writing. Fellow UA student Lindsey Spangler was named an honorable nominee.
Sophomore Meredith Minnery will be spending a school year studying in Indonesia. Minnery received a scholarship from the highly competitive Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program, which selects 65 students from across the U.S. to study in a nation with a significant Muslim population.
State championship lacrosse teams
Dream Team
Upper Arlington High School lacrosse teams continue to dominate the field year after year.
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams add another state championship victory to the record books on June 4. The girls beat the undefeated Massillon Jackson Polar Bears 9-6, earning their second consecutive state title. The boys’ team won its state title against St. Ignatius High School with a final score of 17-5. The boys’ team has won four state championships in the last five years. Mary Nicole Scott is now an Upper Arlington Record Holder. Scott scored 84 goals during the 2016 season, more than any other female lacrosse player in UA history.
UAHS crew team culminated its season with an impressive finish. The girls’ varsity 8+ finished 14th in the nation and the boys’ junior varsity 8+ placed second in the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championship. For the first time since 2005, the team qualified for the grand final at Youth Nationals, where the girls’ lightweight 4+ members Allison Mellor, Jordan Popson, Catherine Powell, Audrey Holman and Addie Mitiska finished sixth in the nation.
Extraordinary Artists
Chidester and UAHS art teacher Scott Wittenburg at the national awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Wittenburg was also honored at the ceremony
Senior Caroline Chidester was nationally recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers during its annual awards ceremony in June. Chidester won an American Visions & Voices medal for her digital photograph Tracks, an aerial shot of a parking lot. The medal was part of the annual Scholastic Art & Writing awards, which celebrate the artistry and creativity of students. Chidester was among the few regional Gold Key winners whose work was later awarded the national medal. Other regional Gold Key winners were UA’s Jack Campise and Chloe Magyari, whose works were part of the top 25 in the 2016 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition.
Sophomore Abhik Mazumder was this year’s Hank Marr High School Jazz Award recipient. The Jazz Arts Group presents one Hank Marr Award each year to a young Ohio musician who demonstrates excellent musicianship and performance skills. Mazumder was chosen from three finalists. The skilled pianist received a $500 cash prize and the opportunity to perform with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra during the 2016 JazZoo concert series. Mazumder also competed in this year’s Buckeye Auditions, a statewide competition held by the Ohio Music Teachers Association. He won the Junior High Piano division.
Katie Ellington is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
