11th Grade: 2024-2025

English

Edward Bentler,
Podcast Project,
Quarters 1 and 2; 2024,
Mr. Gillette,
Communicate Ideas,

Over the entire first semester of my AP English Language and Composition class, my class was assigned to create a podcast. The requirements were for each group to select a topic they found interesting and wanted to explore more in depth, then research the topic, interview an expert outside of our school and immediate family, and present our research and findings in the format of an engaging podcast.

I believe this project developed my skills in the JAGS pillar of communicating ideas. This project required an immense amount of research, writing, and revision, and to create an educational and entertaining podcast requires effective communication of ideas.

For this project, I chose to work alone and to focus my podcast on the topic of puzzles. Specifically, the driving question for my podcast was "what makes a 'good' puzzle?" Seeing as I chose to work alone, I had complete creative freedom, and was able to select what research I wanted to include, who I wanted to interview, and how I wanted to create my podcast. I chose to start by defining what a puzzle is using the public opinion of my interviewees, then took their opinions to acknowledge how different genres of puzzles factoring into how some types of puzzles are enjoyed more so than others. I was able to interview Patrick Traynor, the creator of the award winning puzzle game, Patrick's Parabox, and factored his responses into my podcast for stronger educational and entertainment purposes. I then continued by speaking on how the difficulty of a puzzle factors into its enjoyability. I finished the podcast and answered the question of what makes a good puzzle by sharing Patrick's experiences with designing puzzles and explaining the designing a puzzle in a fun and interesting way is one of the greatest factors in creating a good puzzle. Although I found that the podcast is slow paced and boring for those who find the topic uninteresting, many people who listened to the podcast enjoyed it and commended its understandability and depth. Those who did find the topic interesting really enjoyed the podcast, and derived great value from it.

Overall, I believe that this project made me more globally competent because it greatly expanded my abilities to communicate ideas and reach out to others. Being able to interview Patrick Traynor greatly increased my confidence in my communication skills, and being able to create this podcast truly improved my abilities to communicate ideas.

Social Studies

Edward Bentler,
JAGS Model United Nations,
2024-2025,
Mrs. Stone,
Investigate the World; Communicate Ideas,

All JAGS juniors are required to take the JAGS MUN (Model United Nations) Class at our school, which greatly reinforces many of the skills described by the four pillars of JAGS. The class introduces the functions and systems of the United Nations, and has everyone partake in multiple simulations of the United Nations.

I believe this project developed my skills in the JAGS pillars of investigating the world and communicating ideas. Learning about the UN, how it runs, and how almost all the countries of the world come together in the name of diplomacy and peacekeeping was a wonderful way of learning about the world. Similarly, the diplomacy and communication required in simulating conversation, interactions, and so on within the UN has strengthened my communication skills.

Throughout my Junior year, I partook in multiple MUN events. In class we held multiple crisis leagues and standard sessions, while outside of class we were required to participate in at least two Stark County High School Model United Nations (SCHMUN) events. These events allowed me to participate in crisis leagues with students from other schools, and further practice my diplomacy and communication skills. Similarly, all JAGS juniors participate in a MUN crisis league during GO Night, where parents and members of the community can observe the processes of the United Nations.

Overall, I believe that this class made me more globally competent because it taught me so much about one of the most important global organizations in the world, as well as the main system through which every country is able to interact with one another and through which global cooperation is upheld.

JAGS MUN Russian Res 1.pdf

This is the final resolution I wrote for the class, authored entirely by me. It's extreme depth left no room for ambiguous interpretations, allowing it to pass without much question. The intention of the resolution was to obscure its impacts: which would allow Russia (which I was the sole delegate of) to rightfully obtain Ukraine's land.

Extra Curricular

Edward Bentler,
JAGS Europe Trip,
Quarter 3; 2025,
JAGS,
Investigate the World; Recognize Perspectives,

Every other year, JAGS Juniors and Seniors are offered the opportunity to participate in an educational trip to Europe. This trip is meant not only to be an unforgettable experience, but also to teach JAGS students about the world in a way that can't be done within the classroom.

I believe this project developed my skills in the JAGS pillars of investigating the world and recognizing perspectives. This trip is designed to be the pinnacle of the JAGS program; the most in depth way of investigating the world where students have the chance to explore completely different cultures and learn about the history, people, and ways of life in multiple other countries. I believe that this trip was one of the most effective ways teaching JAGS students to investigate the world and recognize perspectives, and I believe it truly embodies JAGS' motto: "Every Student Ready For The World."

For 2025, the JAGS Europe trip was 10 days long and included travelling to France, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. The trip was through the education touring company ACIS. The trip started with three days in Paris, France, where we had the chance to visit countless historically significant locations, cultural locations, museums, art galleries, and more. All the while, our tour guide would tell us about the history of the areas we walked through and the significances of certain pieces of architecture. After our three days in Paris, we travelled by train to Switzerland. Once in Switzerland, we travelled through Bern to our hotel in Engleberg. The next day we took a bus to Lucerne and ascended to the top of Mt. Pilatus. Spending time on top of Mt. Pilatus was probably one of the most memorable parts of the trip for me. Afterwards, we travelled to another city in Switzerland, then back to our hotel. The next day, we travelled to Liechtenstein in the morning, then onwards to Germany. In Germany we were able to visit Neuschwanstein Castle, visit the Dachau prison camp, visit many museums, and so much more. After a couple days, we travelled to Austria, visited many of the filming locations for The Sound of Music, viewed Mozart's childhood home, and visited a few other significant locations. Overall, the entire trip was filled with amazing experiences and I had the opportunity to visit so many important places and see so many important things.

Overall, I believe that this experience made me more globally competent because of how encompassing it was and how many amazing experiences it imparted on me. Having spent a stretch of time like this in entirely different countries with entirely different languages and cultures, I can say with certainty that it has made me more globally competent.

JAGS Europe Reflection.pdf

World Language

Edward Bentler,
AP Chinese Language & Culture,
2024-2025,
Mrs. Beltowski (冯老师),
Investigate the World; Communicate Ideas,

This year, I took AP Chinese Language and Culture as my world language class. The class was an in-depth course on, of course, the Chinese language and the culture and different ways of life in China.

I believe this class developed my skills in the JAGS pillars of investigating the world and communicating ideas. It was inherent in the class to investigate the world and learn more about Chinese language an culture. We learned much about different activities, groups, areas, and the history of China in order to prepare for the AP test. Similarly, we also learned how to better communicate ideas and complex topics in Chinese, and overall I believe it has made me a better communicator in both Chinese and English.

I ended the class with A at a grade of 95%, and I scored a 4 on the AP test. Also notable was the fact that I took the STAMP 4S exam to test for biliteracy in Chinese. I scored a 6 in reading, writing, and listening, and a 5 in speaking, qualifying to be recognized as bilingual.

Overall, I believe that this class made me more globally competent because this was the first time I was able to learn so much in depth information about another country, with an entire class dedicated to it. Thanks to this class, I believe I have learned so much about different cultures and ways of life around the world.

Science

Edward Bentler,
Balsawood Bridge Project,
Quarter 1; 2024,
Mr. Robison,
Communicate Ideas; Recognize Perspectives,

One of the first projects assigned in my Physics class this year was the Balsawood Bridge Project. The requirements for the project were to work either alone or in groups of two or three, and to use a list of provided materials in order to create a bridge (spanning about 18 centimeters) that is able to hold the most weight in respect to its own mass.

I believe this project developed my skills in the JAGS pillars of communicating ideas and recognizing perspectives. In order to be successful in this project, I had to communicate my ideas effectively with my partner and reach a compromise between our ideas. Recognizing my partner's perspective and communicating mine were vital skills in this project.

Me and my partner both understood the value of having a shared plan for our bridge, and after some research, we had come to an agreement on what shape we wanted our bridge and how we would support it. Our planning early on allowed us to complete our bridge within the time frame of the project, and with high quality as well. Our bridge ended with a weight of 8.52 pounds and it held a total of 33 pounds before breaking, meaning its capacity-to-weight ratio in grams was 1758.450704 : 1.

Overall, I believe that this project made me more globally competent because it allowed me to better hone my communication and collaborative skills, which are vital to any work done on a global scale.

Bridge Research.pdf

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