11th Grade: 2024-2025

Model UN

Extracurricular

Being a global studies program, it is critical we understand the function of the largest multi-national organization, the United Nations, and Model UN is how we do that. In Model UN, we have to learn the how to drive the chamber with motions, draft resolutions that follow the conventions of the Organization, and maintain decorum, all while putting the interests of the state we represent at heart. At my first real Model United Nations Conference in at Case Western Reserve University, I found it chaotic, so much politics, resolution writings, and speeches were being given at simultaneously, and I found it exhilarating. I got first place in my committee, receiving a gavel a trophy. Later that year, I was awarded best delegate, getting my second gavel, at the Stark County High School Model United Nations (SCHMUN) Conference.

Communicate Ideas

A large part of the reason I was so successful in Model UN was my ability to communicate well. I have always been a natural presenter and have done high school debate for 3 years. It does not matter if you have the best ideas for a resolution if you cannot communicate it and get other delegates on board. Clear and effective communication, along with understanding of parliamentary procedure and problem solving skills, are key to Model UN, and all were keys to my success. What's great about these skills, especially, communication, is that they are applicable to the professional and academic world, and are sure to benefit me fro years to come.

Working with ESL Students and Parents

Foreign Language

Continuing my work with the Spanish Honor Society, I made volunteered myself to put my Spanish skills into use and work with the English as a Second Language (ESL) students at both the high school and the elementary schools, for my first semester, I would go 3 times a week after school to help the Spanish language speakers in our elementary school, helping them with English, often times making assignments and presentations, like the one pictured to the right, in Spanish for them to understand the content they learn in class. Additionally, I often would go over to serve as an interpreter for the teachers and ESL parents during parent teacher conferances, translating to Spanish from English and vice-versa.

¿Qué es la Longitud y Latitud?

Taking Action

Due to the monolingual nature of our district, ESL families often have little accessible resources to guide them through the convoluted school system, and often times both the parents and children would struggle as a result. Working with these ESL members of our community was a life changing experience. I got to see people who were usually quite completely open up to me when they realized I spoke Spanish, I got to see them grow as students and find their footing at our schools, and I got to see their wonderful families and and learn about their culture. Working with ESL families did not feel like service work for the Sociedad, but being part another community, a group of fun-energetic, and diverse group of people.

IMP and IWA for AP Seminar

English

Duncan Hass - Use This for Your IMP - 17976499

I took AP Seminar for my Junior year, which is a unique AP class as only half the score comes from the End of Course Exam, the other half comes from the various research papers and presentations we gives. My favorite was our IWA (Individual Writing Assessment), which was a research paper, and the IMP (Individual Multi-media Presentation), which was a presentation about the finding of our research. I did my two about the effect that written language had on Polynesians Oral traditions, can be seen to the rights of and below this text.

Investigate the World

I choose a topic for my Seminar project that I did not know too much about before hand because I wanted to learn something new. Polynesia is an often over looked part of the world that is extremely culturally diverse, so it was a treat, especially as a person who likes history, to analyze the development of oral traditions, which for Polynesians often are the main way history is transmitted. It forced me to better understand a part of the world with a different way of thinking and transmitting history than my own, and furthered my global understanding, which is something critcal for an increasingly globalized world.

Duncan Hass - Type Your IWA Here - 17976499

Interwar Arabs Presentation

History

The Interwar Arabs

This year I took AP World History, a new AP class for our school. AP World History, as the name suggests, looks a history from a bird's eye view and analyzes trends on a global scale, as opposed to change on a national or regional level. This required that I go outside of my American, largely Euro-centric understanding of world history often taught in middle and elementary school and recognize the trends how the changes in the global system affected countries other than our own. For example, in the presentation to the left, I presented on how WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire affected the Arab community, which often is looked over in our history classes.

Recognizing Perspectives

I love world history because I get to learn about communties that are not my own. You can understand so much about a culture in the present day if you look to their past, which is also a key part of JAGS. Not only do I have a better understanding of Arab history, but the history of India, China, Persia, and countless other parts of the world. Understanding the history of these places is critical to understand modern geopolitics and global issues, making me a better citizen of the world.

Intelligence in Animals Podcast

Science

My junior year I made a podcast about non-human intelligence in living organisms with a classmate. Although I made this project for my AP Language and Composition class, I felt it really was an example in how I grew my scientific knowledge. It was a about 15 minutes long and involves three main parts, a discussion of intelligence in dolphins, ants, and trees. The full YouTube video is avilible to the left of this text. Do note how there is no visual comonent as it was a podcast.

Investigate the World

This project was completed over the span of a semester, which required citations, and even an interview with an expert in the field. It was a quite the process, but I ultimately learned a lot about recent scientific discoveries regarding dolphin communication and ant eusociality, I read multiple scientific articles and had an over our long interview with a local college professor, Dr. Freeland, in order to create it. I can honestly say I learned a lot from this project and it advanced my scientific understanding.

Page updated

Report abuse