Oak Ridge Today

Four female ORHS students win state, national honors in computing awards

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Four female students at Oak Ridge High School won state honors and one student was a national winner in computing awards given to young women in 2016.

The Award for Aspirations in Computing by the National Center for Women and Informational Technology honors young women at the high school level for their computing-related achievements and interests, a press release said.

Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.

The four ORHS students were among 11 state winners from Tennessee. The Oak Ridge students are Serena French, Megan Peters, Tina Wang, and Melissa Yuan. [Read more…]

Two ORHS seniors win Brad Sturm scholarships

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Sean Badurina, Mel Sturm, and Jade Lesher

Sean Badurina and Jade Lesher are winners of the Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarships established by businessman Mel Sturm (center). (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Sean Badurina and Jade Lesher, two seniors at Oak Ridge High School, were selected by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge as recipients of the Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarships for 2016.

Sean, who likes to build machines and take them apart to see how they work, said he plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and major in mechanical engineering.

Jade, president of the ORHS drama club with eight years of theater experience and section leader in the marching band, plans to attend UT in Knoxville and major in political science.

To qualify for the scholarships, first established 40 years ago by 92-year-old businessman Mel Sturm, ORHS students this year had to read Larry Arnn’s 2015 book “Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government.” [Read more…]

Myers: Community should do more to honor former Wildcat Jennifer Azzi

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Jennifer Azzi

Jennifer Azzi, left, is pictured above in this photo from a gold medal celebration in 1996. (Photo courtesy David Clary via Alex Myers)

 

Growing up in Oak Ridge, I learned quickly that the folks here love their high school athletics. All it takes is one trip to historic Blankenship Field on a fall Friday night to get a sense of how this town feels about sports.

However, recently it’s occurred to me that there has been a terrible injustice to one of our own. One of Oak Ridge’s most decorated athletes has gone relatively unrecognized to my generation.

Jennifer Azzi is the athlete I’m talking about. From right here in Oak Ridge, Azzi graduated and went on to play Division One basketball at Stanford. While at Stanford, she compiled a list of accomplishments that would impress any sports junkie. Helping Stanford to win their program’s first women’s basketball national championship, Azzi was also named Final Four MVP. While this alone should be enough for her to be celebrated around town, Azzi didn’t stop there. She was named the 1990 Naismith National Player of the Year, and for those who are unaware, that’s essentially college basketball’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. Azzi was also named Pac 10 player of the year for the 1989-90 season. She was a two time Kodak All-American for her play during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons.

Azzi went on to be an eventual first-round draft pick in the WNBA draft.

And if that didn’t make your jaw drop, here’s the icing on the cake. In 1996, Azzi helped make not only East Tennessee proud, but her country proud as well when she and her teammates on the USA Women’s National Basketball Team won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta. Let’s face it, she wasn’t good; Jennifer Azzi was simply amazing. [Read more…]

Cancer survivors, caregivers to be honored at American Cancer Society Relay For Life

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American Cancer Society Relay for Life Logo

Local cancer survivors and their caregivers will take the celebratory first lap at the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Oak Ridge event on May 20 at Oak Ridge High School Track. The survivors lap will begin at 6 p.m. Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer may participate.

As the survivors walk, other participants will cheer them on in a demonstration of support and celebration. The five-year survival rate for all cancers has risen to 68 percent, and there are an estimated 14.5 million survivors in America, a press release said.

The Relay For Life of Oak Ridge is a community event where teams and individuals set up campsites at a school, park, or fairground, and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Last year, four million people participated in more than 6,000 events worldwide. The money raised supports groundbreaking cancer research, education and risk reduction efforts, and free information and critical services for people with cancer who need them.

If you are a cancer survivor or caregiver and would like to be part of the Relay For Life event, visit relayforlife.org or on Facebook at Relay for Life of Oak Ridge, or call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life is May 20

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American Cancer Society Relay for Life Logo

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Oak Ridge will take place on Friday, May 20, at Oak Ridge High School.

Relay for Life is scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m. May 20 at the ORHS Ben Martin Track.

“Join local volunteers and participants from the community and celebrate cancer survivors, remember those lost to the disease, and take action to save more lives from cancer,” a press release said.

The opening ceremony, which includes a special Survivors and Caregivers Lap, will begin at 6 p.m. A Luminaria Ceremony to honor cancer survivors and remember those lost to cancer will take place at 9:30 p.m. The closing ceremony will be at 10:30 p.m.

Visit relayforlife.org to learn more about the event or contact Kim Monroe at (865) 438-5334, Kenneth Herring at kherring@teksystems.com or (865) 310-2664, or Brittany Bostic at brittany.bostic@cancer.org.

Oak Ridge students experience success at Southern Appalachian Science, Engineering Fair

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Gabe Vacliuc with Poster and Trophy

Oak Ridge High School student Gabe Vacaliuc earned first place for his project titled “dQCuts: Simplifying Molecular Dynamics Datasets Using Higher Order Statistical Signatures” under the mentorship of Arvind Ramanathan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Vacaliuc is pictured above with his poster and trophy at the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair at the University of Tennessee earlier this month. (Submitted photo)

 

Seventeen research students from Oak Ridge High School competed in the 64th Annual Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair hosted at the University of Tennessee. The competition was held April 4-7 with the awards ceremony on Thursday evening. There were 52 Senior Division projects in competition.

All 17 students are a part of either the Experimental Scientific Research, or ESR, course or Math, Science, and Computer Science Thesis course at ORHS. The ESR course is led by Sharon Thomas and Thesis is led by Tammy Carneim and Jessica Williams.

Gabe Vacaliuc earned first place for his project titled “dQCuts: Simplifying Molecular Dynamics Datasets Using Higher Order Statistical Signatures” under the mentorship of Arvind Ramanathan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Along with a $1,000 scholarship and trophy, Vacaliuc will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, in May to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

“SASEF was a great experience because I was able to get substantial feedback in a professional setting,” Vacaliuc said. “I’m so grateful to SASEF for the opportunity to represent my school at ISEF in May.” [Read more…]

Pastor addresses CWU on school concerns

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Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The high stress levels of students at Oak Ridge High School. The increasing number of students who take multiple Advanced Placement courses for status reasons, in response to parental pressure or to be in class with friends. The lack of social workers at ORHS, which has a rising number of at-risk, underfed students who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches.

The finding that less than 2 percent of ORHS students are referred for almost half of the disciplinary actions taken, including suspensions. Yet, because of privacy laws, people interested in mentoring at least two dozen disciplinary students cannot learn their names.

These were some of the teacher and community concerns highlighted by the Reverend Derrick Hammond, pastor at Oak Valley Baptist Church, at a recent meeting of the Oak Ridge unit of Church Women United.

He announced that on Sunday, April 24, at Oak Ridge High School, from 4-5:30 p.m., city leaders will respond to public concerns raised during the three “Community Matters” sessions held last October and November. The speakers will include Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald and Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi. [Read more…]

Three Oak Ridge High School students selected as Haslam Scholar finalists

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Elisabeth Gallmeier

Elisabeth Gallmeier (Photo from University of Tennessee/2016 Haslam Scholars Finalists)

Three students from Oak Ridge High School were selected as Haslam Scholar finalists this year. This is the highest number of Haslam Scholar finalists from any high school in the state.

The three Oak Ridge finalists are:

  1. Elisabeth Gallmeier, who is pursuing a degree in physics. She has recently been doing research with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, creating statistical modeling programs to aid hydrocarbon exploration and prediction analyses to examine shale play production.
  2. Oumar Souleymane Diallo, who is interested in the nuclear, mechanical, and biomedical engineering fields. His interests are broad and include sculpting, modern art, video editing, cooking. and computer science.
  3. Lewis Wang, who plans to prepare for a career in business administration. He enjoys competitive soccer and volunteer work, including serving as chairman of Oak Ridge’s Youth Advisory Board. He has been involved in developing projects such as the water awareness program for the disadvantaged youth and managing concessions during the city Halloween party to raise money for Mission of Hope.

“We are very proud of our students and the incredible work they do in our schools,” an Oak Ridge Schools press release said. [Read more…]

Layton named vice principal at Jefferson Middle starting in 2016-17

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Chris Layton

Chris Layton

Note: This story was updated at 1:15 a.m.

Chris Layton, a world history teacher at Jefferson Middle School, has been named vice principal for the school year starting this fall.

Layton is a former Jefferson student (1992-1994) and a graduate of Oak Ridge High School (1998). After graduation, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Maryville College, majoring in education and political science and minoring in business. He earned his master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of Tennessee.

Layton began his teaching career at Oak Ridge High School in 2003 as a civics teacher. From 2006-2009, he worked at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, where he taught world history, U.S. history, and U.S. government. He worked outside of education as a director of marketing for a construction firm in Nashville specializing in government contracting. [Read more…]

Colburn, an ORHS senior, awarded student-athlete scholarship

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Thomas Colburn AF Bridges State Award of Excellence Scholarship 2016

Thomas Colburn was recently awarded the AF Bridges State Award of Excellence scholarship. This $1,000 college scholarship is given annually to a senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the high ideals, ethics, integrity, citizenship and sportsmanship of the TSSAA. (Submitted photo)

 

Thomas Colburn, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, was recently awarded the AF Bridges State Award of Excellence scholarship.

This $1,000 college scholarship is given annually to a senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the high ideals, ethics, integrity, citizenship and sportsmanship of the TSSAA (Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association).

Colburn is a member of the Oak Ridge Wildcats cross country and track and field teams, and he also was a finalist in an Intel science competition after a two-year project conducted with help from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory mentor.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Education Foundation to award $85,000 in grants at April 13 ceremony

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Jay Searcy

Jay Searcy

As part of its “Making the Critical Difference” campaign, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation will award approximately $85,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers at a ceremony on Wednesday, April 13.

Jay Searcy, a national award-winning sports writer and Oak Ridge Class of 1952 alumnus, will be the featured speaker at the event sharing his talk entitled, “How to Improve Our Schools Without Knowing How.” The ceremony is open to the public and will be held in the Oak Ridge High School cafeteria beginning at 4 p.m. April 13. Demonstrations and displays of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation will be given after the formal ceremony. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of Oak Ridge Utility District.

The 2016 grant recipients are as follows:

  • Oak Ridge Preschool—Margaret Johnston
  • Glenwood Elementary—Amelia Bell, Lauren Blair, and Gwen Harrell
  • Linden Elementary—Ginger Adams and Lisa Buckner
  • Willow Brook Elementary—Ashley Branson and Andrew McDonald
  • Woodland Elementary—Susie Carden, Kim Howard, Michael Martin, and Evan Parker
  • Jefferson Middle School—Jim Dodson, Emily Haverkamp, Heather Henderlight, Julie McCullough, Lexie Scott, and Brian Smith
  • Robertsville Middle School—David Goforth, Mariah Kidwell, Mardee Miller, and David Scott
  • Oak Ridge High School—Christina Henry, Spence Milligan, Vidal Moreno, Deanna Pickel, Sharon Thomas, and Will Waterson

[Read more…]

ORHS juniors take ACT on Tuesday, April 19

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Oak-Ridge-Civic-Center-March-7-2016

ACT testing for Oak Ridge High School juniors will be on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

All Oak Ridge High School juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, April 19.

Oak Ridge Schools’ goal is to improve the college and career readiness of all Oak Ridge students in order to provide them with a better foundation of knowledge and skills, allowing them to be prepared for a more technologically sophisticated and internationally competitive working world, a press release said. In order to reach this goal, the system has The Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness, and the fifth key is for all students to score an ACT composite of 27 or higher.

“Last year, Oak Ridge High School ranked first among east Tennessee districts in composite ACT scores, but there is still work to be done to reach our goal,” a press release said. “Our next opportunity to shine is coming up in April.”

This year, the City of Oak Ridge is partnering with ORHS to provide secure, quiet space at the Oak Ridge Civic Center for testing, the press release said. All members of the Class of 2017 should report to the Civic Center for testing on the morning of April 19 by 7:30 a.m. Testing should conclude by noon. ORHS school lunch will be available for students who wish to return to ORHS after testing. Students who choose to go home immediately after the testing or immediately after lunch will have an excused absence from their afternoon classes. [Read more…]