BB&N Community Celebrates Senior Projects

Senior projects were the centerpiece of BB&N's annual Senior Night program on May 30. “We're here to honor the accomplishments of the Class of 2007,” said Senior Project Coordinator Sandy Dow, and those accomplishments were on full display all evening as the Nicholas Athletic Center was filled with song, dance, oral presentations, and plenty of applause.

Several students performed during the evening. The band formed by Will McKenney, Chris Haynes, Colin Doyle '09, and last-minute fill-in Nick Mikita '08, got the program rolling with a couple of original songs. Ariel Kanter followed with a dance recital, Wren Huston played Chopin Preludes on the piano, and Hilary Krentzman read an excerpt from her children's book, The Girl Who Fell Down the Well, adapted from a family story that had been handed down through generations.

For their projects, seniors explored fields that ranged from dating shows to heart surgery, from rock climbing to materials engineering. John Manna spoke about his experience coaching a Cambridge youth soccer team with Olubiyi Animashaun. He also interned at the Boston law firm, WilmerHale, where he helped run the firm's Discovering Justice program, which reaches out to Boston Public School students. “I also learned how to use possibly the most complicated copy machine in the world,” he joked.

Jennifer Pierre interned at TeenLife Boston, a company that provides teens with information about summer classes and program, community service options, and job opportunities. Jennifer, who worked closely with the company's founder, Marie Schwartz, P '08, used the internship as a springboard to sharpen her public speaking skills. She also created and delivered PowerPoint presentations to various groups, including BB&N Ninth Graders.

Rebecca Ross called her senior project “the highlight of my BB&N experience.” She interned at the Boston Housing Authority Police Department in Jamaica Plain. “I admit I sometimes felt out of place when I walked in each morning,” she laughed. “For one thing, my belt didn't have handcuffs and a gun.”

Matt Kaplan began his talk with a confession. “I've always loved food,” he said. “And I've come to learn that behind all that good food is a production.” Matt went behind the scenes of the “production” at Sweet Basil in Needham, where he experienced all aspects of the bistro's business and food operations. Matt also spent Mondays working on “rustic recipes” in his home kitchen and starting to write his own cookbook. Recipe by Matt Kaplan '07:

Tuna Tartar with Avocado and Jicama

Prep List: 1 pound fresh sushi grade tuna; 2 diced avocados; Juice of 2 oranges or tangerines; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger; 1 cup diced jicama; Wasabi; Potato chips.

Strain the citrus through a sieve and add the ginger, soy sauce, and desired amount of wasabi. Whisk together adding salt and pepper to taste. Gently combine the diced tuna, diced avocado, and diced jicama. The tartar can be served with a number of different dishes. My favorite preparations are potato chips, in a salad, or simply formed into a mold, garnished, and served.  

What is Senior Project? During the final quarter of the senior year, each student at BB&N is given the opportunity and responsibility to choose his/her own course of studies and activities. Each senior is accountable for 40 hours per week of approved and supervised pursuits both on and off campus. Students, with the help of their faculty supervisors, may choose from a wide variety of the school's academic, artistic, athletic, and extracurricular offerings. In addition to special mini-courses and independent studies offered by faculty, students are encouraged to work with individual teachers to design their own eight-week courses.

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