#b#Bender Bots Team Impresses with ‘Plasticycler’#/b#
The venue changed, but the result was the same: after three years competing in the Pennsylvania region, the Bender Bots FIRST Lego League team from WW-P entered its first New Jersey competition and received many accolades from the judges. The team also won the best presentation award at the November 21 competition, held at Hillsborough High School. This year’s theme is “Trash Trek,” and the team developed “Plasticycler” to streamline recycling trash.
Team members, all students at Village, Grover, and Community Middle schools, include Anika Mandhania, Neha Ayyalapu, Anav Sharma, Abgail Johnson, Akash Nayak, Vivan Bindal, Vihaan Kedia, Aditya Hardikar, and Ronit Ganguli. Coaches include Vish Kedia and Giri Ayyalapu of West Windsor and the youth mentor is Avni Mandhania.
The Bender Bots did their research by visiting the Giordano trash recycling facility in Newark, and consulted with Dan Napolean, the director of Mercer County’s recycling program, to understand the challenges recycling facilities face as well as opportunities to improve recycling.
Bender Bots found lack of knowledge and awareness to be the biggest problems. The team learned that Mercer County only recycles grades 1 and 2 plastics. When recycling items are sorted, items with grades 3 to 7 “contaminate” the others, and everything may end up in the landfill. Not only do the members of the public get confused about which items to recycle and which to throw in the trash, but the containers are often difficult to read.
The team’s solution involves placing markings on recycling bins to indicate the grades of plastic that should be recycled. The team also proposes that manufacturers place a fluorescent marking or sticker on the container indicating the grade of plastic for better visibility.
The Bender Bots now progress to the next round of state competition, the state championship at Mt. Olive on December 12.
#b#Visual Arts#/b#
Tammy Wei, a senior at High School North, has been named a 2016 National Young Arts Foundation finalist in visual arts. Her parents are Yahuan Guo and Yuting Wei.
Wei’s book, “Finding Dog: Revelations,” that began as an art piece she used for the competition, was published with the help of Nishan Patel, her former art teacher at North. Her book, “Sexy Ed,” also published with Patel’s help, is available at Barnes & Noble. “It began as a performance art piece on film,” Wei said in the school’s newspaper. “We made a cheesy 80s health class video like the one you would see in middle school. I made these interactive masks that would move and show the processes of the stuff we learn about in health. We took photographs and stills from the film while we were shooting, and that progressed into the book.”
As one of 165 finalists, Wei will attend the 35th annual National YoungArts Week in Miami from January 3 to 10 featuring master classes and workshops across 10 disciplines. Throughout the week, their work will be further adjudicated to determine additional award levels, including a monetary award of $1,000 to $10,000. Finalists also share their talents with the public through performances in classical, jazz, voice, dance, theater, film, art, design, photography, and more. Visit www.youngarts.org for information.
#b#Guillemin’s Art Makes Political Statement#/b#
Francois Guillemin of West Windsor has created “Government,” pictured at right, a life size bronze sculpture depicting a barrel seemingly on the verge of being tipped over from its perch on a stool. Known as le Corbeau (The Crow), he is a master metalsmith whose work includes jewelry, sculpture, furniture, and decorative metalwork. His recent commissions include “Remembrance of Gifts Past” located in the Wellness Garden of the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, and the five “Welcome to Hopewell Borough” signs.
His Firedance Studio is located in Hopewell and “Government” may be seen through the windows at Railroad Place and Hamilton Avenue. The piece is for sale. E-mail info@firedancestudio.com or call 609-644-4044 for information.
#b#Kids Who Make Magic#/b#
Adhit Menon, a sixth grade student at Community Middle School, was honored at a recent banquet in Edison for his efforts to help earthquake victims in Nepal. The earthquake, which struck in April, killed more than 1,200 people and orphaned many children.
Menon contributed by selling home-made origami flowers in school for $1 each, with help from his brother, Abhik Menon.
Menon teamed up with Barbara Latady, the senior director at the American Red Cross. He contributed $300. School administrators who helped him include Shauna Carter, Kyle Schimpf, and Guyler Tulp. In October his story was read live on-air on Magic 98.3 FM.
#b#Excellence Award#/b#
Mercer County Master Gardeners received awards for excellence at the recent Rutgers Master Gardeners Association of New Jersey fall conference. This award is given annually in recognition of the contributions and service of volunteer members who trained and are certified under the Rutgers University Master Gardener Program. This year the Mercer Master Gardener presidents, past, present, active, and inactive, were recognized with a team award. One of the recipients is Ann Calder of West Windsor.
The volunteer educational outreach program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension is located at 930 Spruce Street in Lawrence. Master Gardeners participate in many volunteer programs throughout the county, as well as answer home horticulture questions through its helpline. Visit www.mgofmc.org for information.
#b#Community Service Award#/b#
Ruchita Zaparde of Plainsboro is one of four honorees at Nickelodeon’s HALO (Helping and Leading Others) Awards. The ceremony recognizes young people who have started community service initiatives. Zaparde, 18, a student at Princeton Day School, is the founder of Sew a Future, a nonprofit that raises money to buy sewing machines for widows in India.
The story from her website reads:
“In 2010, when Ruchita Zaparde was visiting India with her family, she had a chance to meet Asha, a 27-year-old widow from a rural village, and her two young daughters. Within a month of her husband’s death, Asha was kicked out of her in-laws’ home and suddenly had nowhere to go. She started working on a farm as a laborer during the day and stitched clothes by hand at night to earn a living. That year, the crop yield had severely diminished, and her children had quit school so they could hold small jobs to make ends meet. While fighting tears, Asha told Ruchita how she dreamed of sending her children back to school. She did not want them to be relegated to lives like hers.”
“Ruchita knew she had to do something. After returning to New Jersey, Ruchita fundraised at her school and on her next trip, gave Asha a sewing machine. Within a year, Asha had a steady source of income and her daughters were back in school. Ruchita quickly realized that there were many more women like Asha, and Sew A Future was born.”
Zaparde, born in Queens, New York, moved to Plainsboro in 2001. Her father, Anil, is a software engineer, and her mother, Rashmi, works in programming. Her older brother, Rajul, was honored as a youth volunteer by Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in 2011 for his project, Drinking Water for India. Their younger sister, Renita, is also a student at Princeton Day School. They family usually visits India once a year.
#b#Young Philanthropists#/b#
The Learning Experience in West Windsor participated in the annual pink walk and raised $3,200 for breast cancer awareness and research during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. West Windsor police and fire departments assisted. Preschoolers made and sold bracelets, key chains, ribbons, and T-shirts, and all proceeds were donated to the Mama Mare Breast Cancer Foundation.
#b#Community Service#/b#
Girl Scouts working on a community service project include Phoebe Elias, Alyse Dunn, Sarah Donato, Kacy Lane, Alex Valen, Kelsey Lane, Ilana Sheykhet, Kaila Shah, Sophie Pirrera, and Mariam Dar. The Princeton Area Juniorettes hung ornaments on the wish tree in MarketFair mall. The ornaments were made by the Girl Scouts from West Windsor, Plainsboro, and East Windsor. Attached to each is a tag from the Division of Children and Families for one child’s holiday wish. Patrons of the mall are invited to deliver wishes through Monday, December 14.
#b#Alumni News#/b#
Diane Ciccone of West Windsor recently saw Colgate’s inaugural residential commons, named after her. She is a 1974 graduate. Commons residents made the choice by popular vote after reviewing a slate of important names in Colgate’s history.
“I am humbled and honored with the naming of Ciccone Commons,” Ciccone said. “It not only recognizes my lifetime commitment to Colgate but more importantly it acknowledges the many voices of women and people of color in Colgate’s story — a story that will be woven into the historical fabric of the institution’s commitment to coeducation and inclusion.”
Ciccone is a member of the first class of women to graduate from Colgate. After earning her JD from Hofstra University in 1977, she went on to a career in law and journalism. She also became a passionate advocate for the Colgate community, both current students and her fellow alumni.
A founding member of Colgate’s Alumni of Color organization, Ciccone served on both the alumni council and the university’s Board of Trustees, chairing its legal affairs and insurance committee. She has mentored generations of undergraduates via the Sister2Sister program and career services, and she has supported the ALANA Cultural Center, establishing a library of books by authors of color. In 2014, she received the Wm. Brian Little ‘64 Award for Distinguished Service.
The Ciccone Commons is the first of four residential commons that will open during the next several years. The commons system represents a new approach to living the liberal art at Colgate. Led by faculty directors, residential commons students not only live and enjoy free time together, they take classes and study side by side, integrating academic exploration into their daily experiences.
“A liberal arts education was never intended to be confined to the classroom — learning happens everywhere,” said Dean of the College Suzy Nelson. “Students are looking for a home away from home and an enriching co-curricular experience. We’re providing the tools they need to build that community the day they step on campus.”
The selection of Ciccone will serve as a prototype for future name selections. Each new residential commons will hold an election to choose a moniker based on important characters in Colgate’s story — individuals who, like Diane Ciccone, have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity and made an impact on the community.
“All of us involved in this first residential commons are excited to bear our new name — the Ciccone Commons,” said faculty co-director Rebecca Shine. “Diane’s name conveys exactly what we hope for in our commons: a sense of inclusion, warmth, and deep engagement among students, staff, and faculty.”
#b#Tennis#/b#
Akul Telluri of West Windsor competes in the 2015 USTA Junior Team Tennis 14U National Championships, held at the Cayce Tennis Center in Cayce, South Carolina, through December 6. The Trenton area team represents the USTA Middle States Advanced section at the championships, which will bring together the top 32 teams (250 players) at intermediate and advanced levels from various USTA Sections throughout the country. Visit ustajtt.com for complete results.
#b#In College#/b#
University of the Sciences: Nora Osman of Plainsboro was inducted into Alpha Chi National Honor Society on November 3. She is studying physical therapy and health science.
#b#Engagement#/b#
Theresa M. Burek of West Windsor and William M. Dowd of Red Bank are planning a July wedding.
The future bride is a 2008 graduate of High School South. Burek earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications, public relations, and journalism from Monmouth University, where she was a member of the field hockey team. A publicist with Fox Business News Network in New York City, she is the daughter of Kathy and Joseph Burek of West Windsor.
The prospective bridegroom earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and secondary education from Monmouth University, where he ran cross country on the track team and was a four-year letter winner captain. He received a master of science degree in adolescent and special education from Wagner College. A teacher at Liberty Middle School in West Orange, he is the son of Kathy and Thomas Dowd of West Brighton.
