February 20, 2024

Debate Team

A group of Debate Team members recently traveled to Harvard University to participate in the Harvard National Speech & Debate Tournament, the largest tournament in the country for speech and debate. IMSA's own Nikhil Kodali '25 performed exceptionally well, and he will advance to the Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky in April. Congratulations to our team members and Nikhil for their amazing performance!

Environmental Chemistry Class Presents to the EPA

Last semester, Dr. Ahrendt's environmental chemistry students explored innovative methods for cleaning up the Grand Calumet River. The river is classified as an Environmental Protection Agency Area of Concern due to elevated levels of legacy pollutants in the sediment. Caitie Nigrelli, an environmental scientist at the EPA responsible for overseeing the river's restoration, provided feedback on the students' projects. She invited the students to present their final projects to her and other EPA scientists in Chicago. The presentations took place on February 7, fostering an insightful discussion between the students and EPA scientists who specialized in areas such as geology, chemistry, ecology, and civil engineering.

The following students, pictured alongside EPA scientists, presented their projects: Harrison Jang '26, Amy Lendi '25, Kavin Venkat '25, Claudia Kowal '25, Ryan Li '24, Shruthi Vasudevan '25, Sree Atyam '24, Aishat Balogun '24, Andrew Zhu '26, Karthik Prasad '26, and Sophia Atanassov '26.

All items need to be paid for in full before pickup. If you have questions or concerns about your order, please contact Herff Jones at CustServ@HerffJonesIL.com or 815-756-4743. If students cannot pick up their merchandise on March 7, they can pick them up in the Principal's Office during school hours.

Students will need their IMSA ID to pick up their order. If you have not placed an order yet, extra cap and gown units will be sold at the event for $50 (cash only).

All graduates must have an approved cap and gown to participate in the Commencement Ceremony on June 1, 2024.

This year, graduating students will be able to adorn their graduation regalia with approved accessories.

With input from IMSA alumni and several student groups, the Principal's Office has established a process and criteria for approval, as well as a request form to be submitted by February 29, 2024.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

4:30 p.m.

IRC

Please join the IRC for their annual African American Read-In featuring guest speaker Tiffany Hendersen. Tiffany Henderson is an author, attorney, civil rights servant, and pastor.

Students and staff members from the IMSA community will also come together to recognize and highlight literature from underrepresented authors and artists by sharing a poem or an excerpt from a reading.

Moderated by Anita Connors White, Ph.D.

Dr. White, Dean of Student Support and Equity, attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and received her doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

Meeting ID: 849 8406 5852 | Passcode: 970763

Boys Tennis Informational Meeting

Sunday, February 25, 2024

5:00 p.m.

Room E121

This meeting is mandatory if you are interested in participating in Boys Tennis.

Boys Volleyball Informational Meeting

Monday, February 26, 2024

4:45 p.m.

Room E121

This summer, IMSA will offer a special summer SIR program to increase the number of CLED students participating in research/ internship projects. Formerly known as PROMISE 2.0, the 2024 Summer Research and Experiential Learning Opportunities (SRELO) program will host rising junior and senior students in research projects across the state.

Research opportunities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Chicago have recently been added, so the deadline to submit your interest form has been extended to February 23, 2024. Learn more about these projects, and all of the projects offered in the form below.

Many of us have seen the sorting hat in Harry Potter determine the experience and identity of students at Hogwarts. While we don't allow magic to select our students' residences, the halls have a distinct culture created by the students who choose to live there. That culture comes alive during the weeklong competition, Clash of the Halls. Students engage in different friendly competitions against one another, such as trivia, a talent show, creating their own art displays, their own movies, and more. It all wraps up with an assembly at the end of the week where each hall, wearing their team color, cheers on their hallmates and performs in different events, just like at Hogwarts. The only difference is that they don't fight to the death!

One endearing quality of Clash of the Halls, and living in the halls in general, is that students develop a community around students of different ages. That's intentional, by design, to have some student residential leaders who help cultivate a community and bring newcomers along. That also lets younger students feel connected to tradition rather quickly and begin thinking of ways to get more involved in the year(s) ahead. It conveys a sense that all contributions matter to build a better community. That includes supporting and encouraging newcomers' success, and I love that about IMSA's residential culture.

If you have thoughts on this topic or wish me to address others, please reach out to me at eglazer@imsa.edu.

Media Production 101

Thursday, February 22, 2024

S&E Period

ITMC (B127)

Learn about the art of visual storytelling through film and sound!

Join the ITMC staff as they go through Adobe software to show how to personalize school presentations and projects. See what tools are available to you and meet fun staff that want to get to know you! You will also have the opportunity to learn more about joining ISP!

We can tell others about IMSA, but they might want to hear directly from you - our students. As a senior or rising junior, the story of your individual experience at IMSA has the potential to make a significant impact on the future of IMSA. As we strive to secure state funding for the aging residence halls and demonstrate IMSA's impact on your life, we can’t wait to hear your story.  

In a 60-second video selfie from your phone, please share your name and hometown and

• What experiences at IMSA have had the greatest impact on you 
• OR The best thing about IMSA

Upload your video, and we’ll enter you into a weekly drawing for a chance to win a $50 VISA Gift Card. Submissions will be accepted through February 29, 2024.

Select videos will be released digitally on imsa.edu and social media channels.

Anirudh Chari's '24 SIR project, "An Optimal Control Framework for Influencing Human Driving Behavior in Mixed-Autonomy Traffic," has been accepted for publication at the 2024 American Control Conference. Anirudh will present his work in Toronto, Canada, in July, making him the youngest presenter in the conference's history. Through the application of optimal control theory, his research facilitates safer interactions between self-driving cars and human drivers.

Staff Spotlights

Please complete the Spotlight Submission Form if you have been recently recognized in your field, celebrated for your academic or professional achievements, or are working on a project you'd like to share. If you have any questions, please contact Alex Johnson at ajohnson2@imsa.edu.

Class of 2026

Your next LEAD elective module will take place on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.. You will need a laptop, notebook, and writing utensils. Please read through the syllabus for your elective before Wednesday. Absences should be emailed to LEAD program coordinator Emma Wilson Parker (ewilson1@imsa.edu) Tuesday nights at 4:30 p.m., on top of following proper check-out procedures. If you have any questions or concerns, contact LEAD program coordinator Emma Wilson.

Class of 2024 Students and Parents

Please remember that all service hours must be submitted by May 21, 2024, to meet the graduation requirement. Seniors should take the time to log their service hours into Helper Helper as soon as possible so the hours can be approved by the site coordinator and entered into PowerSchool. The number of service hours displayed in PowerSchool shows what has been earned and logged toward your graduation requirement, so please be sure to check those hours regularly to make sure they match your records.

All sophomore students are required to attend the Student Leadership Exchange (SLX) to complete the LEAD program. SLX is a day-long event where students will present their LEAD projects surrounding social entrepreneurship, activism, and data journalism in correspondence with the UN's Sustainability Development Goals. and network with evaluators from IMSA and the wider community.

LEAD Evaluators Needed

LEAD is looking for evaluators for the Student Leadership Exchange (SLX) on April 24, 2024. Join us to assess Class of '26 projects on social entrepreneurship, activism, and data journalism aligned with the UN's Sustainability Development Goals. Evaluators can participate in person or virtually, with a preference for in-person. Please share this form with anyone interested in this opportunity!

Check out the new search engine from the Illinois of Gifted Children for local STEM enrichment opportunities for all ages. This search engine was developed by IMSA Senior, Michael Meng '24!

Titan To Go is a resource for students to discreetly order basic toiletries when they cannot replace them before a trip home. Students may select from the following items:



• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Toothpaste and Toothbrushes 
• Dental Floss 
• Deodorant 
• Menstrual products
• Hand soap 
• Body lotion 
• Facial tissues
• Lip balm  
• Contact lens cases

Requests are confidential and can be made by clicking on the button above. Requests received by 8:00 a.m. will be processed daily, Monday through Friday. You will pick up your items in a Smart Locker once you receive a notification that your package has been scanned in.

For more information, contact Michelle Bemis, Volunteer Coordinator for Titan To Go at mbemis@imsa.edu.

Mark Your Calendars! 

February 17 - 21 - Extended Weekend (President's Day Weekend)

February 21 - Halls open at 3:00 p.m.

February 22 - Classes resume

March 8 - Choir Concert

March 15 - Band Concert

ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACADEMY



1500 Sullivan Rd., Aurora, IL 60506-1000 |  630.907.5000 |  imsa.edu

To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific

minds that advance the human condition.