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yuval hananya
4/20/2010 12:59:30 pm
Amazing! Interesting, funny, and cool. My favorite part was the art and how all the different art pieces showed "serendipity". I also liked your personal and how your lives have been serendipitous in a different way. The author of the Simplexity book was one of my favorite parts talking bout the organism compared to the star. The coffee cup and the dance interviews were also really interesting. Loved the movie clippings, especially the Casablanca clip. It was also really funny with the birthdays, and the chocolate bar. Pretty much an amazing experimental
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David V.
4/22/2010 06:06:23 am
Awesome job! It was cool how your whole project came from the name of a restaurant. My favorite part was the whole thing. I actually came in with no clue what I was going to see- everyone else's experimentals had a word that I didn't have to look up in dictionary. Rory- I never knew before your personal that ytou were adopted, and I still will never know what it's like, but interesting story. Brooke- fabulous job. Your experience was really cool to me b/c I've lived in Roslyn Hts my whole life and don't know what it's like changing neighborhoods. Shelley- very touching personal. I also cried the first day of kindergarden, so that made me think of myself. Overall, nice work, and cool use of the fountain for wishes.
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Jen B.
4/22/2010 07:09:52 am
I really enjoyed your presentation. The topic idea was original and gave a positive feeling to the room. I only knew about the name from the restaurant and it was cool to see it tie into everything else. It was entraining to see where the word was derived from by starting out with a play. Incorporating a faculty member made it more entertaining to watch. The stories on your website as well as the section of your presentation with the lottery winner were interesting because it isn’t everyday you can hear these stories. My favorite story was the one by Sonika Misra because it shows that one serendipitous action can really affect everything; just like the butterfly affect. Connecting serendipity to science and math really made your topic come full circle. I am currently learning probability so I was able to relate to that portion of your project. This demonstrated that serendipity actually occurs throughout your life. During your presentation, you gave away a chocolate bar to one lucky winner (Juliana) to prove serendipity. This made your topic easy to understand was well as give the audience a quick break. Your personals were interesting and informative, especially the song that Rory sang. Good Job!
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Kristen L.
4/24/2010 11:00:06 am
Very nice. I liked your audience participation the best, with the chocolate bar. It was fun and kept the presentation alive. Lots of great connections with very smooth transitioning and factual research. The way you incorporated the Birthday Problem was pretty cool, since you usually see lots of kids doing that topic at math fair. Also, your website's great, very high-tech. Congrats for getting your timing perfectly, too. All the personals were really touching, especially Rory's. The beginning of the presentation was nice, too (cute BK crowns!). It kept me interested and curious, since I kind of had no idea what was going on at first. It feels weird having to criticize classmates, especially ones with such an amazing project like yours. But the only real suggestion I could make is maybe you could have spoken without reading directly off the script--though it was a pretty awesome script! Overall, amazing job! Definitely one of my favorites.
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Diana B.
4/26/2010 11:19:39 am
Hey guys! Great job. Some parts that I especially remembered from your experimantal was the audience participation with the chocolate bar, the birthday question, and the fluidity of the reasearch. Your topics seemed to flow into one another and it made it easy for the audience to follow along. I also enjoyed your various art and quotes from modern day people to historic people. You guys kept the audience interseted and alive. Your personals showed how ineveryones life there is somesort of serendipity. That feeling gave me hope to now that something good will be in my future. Also I loved that you got your inspiration from the restaurant Serendipity. It made the project seem personal and more alive.
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Emma S.
4/27/2010 11:29:31 am
Hey guys! Just like to say fantastic job on your experimental. When I first heard your topic was serendipity, all I knew about it was the restaurant in the city. When I found out it meant luck, I thought of how interesting that topic could be. I love how you found out that the restaurant Serendipity was actually founded by three guys and you were three girls doing a project together. It was a great connection. The idea of tying the birthday thing into your experimental was great because it really brought the audience into your presentation. Instead of just stating the derivative of the word serendipity I was impressed that you actually did further research and acted out the story from which it was from. Since I am currently learning probability in math I had an even more connection on an intellectual level towards the probably portion of your presentation. The fact that you all found a series of events in your lives that led you to where you are now was very interesting. You three had personals that really stood out because not only did they connect to your lives but made the audience think about a certain serious of “serendipitous” events that have occurred in their own lives as well. Since serendipity relates to luck and chance I thought it was really cool how you factored in the lottery and the chocolate bar from the audience. You presented very well with the flow of your lines and the videos being the exact length of how long you were talking. Overall great job!
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Lauren L.
4/28/2010 07:42:41 am
I'd like to start by saying congratulations! Your group has successfully made an unbelievable experimental! It was great before the presentation started; the room decorations were really cool with all the cards hanging from the ceiling and your matching outfits and cookies supplemented the project nicely. What I really loved about your presentation was how you girls presented. All of you were so into your topic and did not seem nervous at all. This made your audience even more engaged, knowing how passionate you are about serendipity. I liked learning the origin of the word through a play, very clever! I liked how you use the theme of destiny in your project. The painting of "Two Roads Diverge in a Yellow Wood" perfectly shows how one decision can lead us into different directions and can alter our lives. Reading all the stories on your website also stresses the idea of a "fortunate accident"; if they did something differently, their lives would be totally different. This idea relates to Rory and Brooke's personals. Rory, I loved the story about how you were adopted and the lullaby. Brooke, the story about how your parents met and how you ended up where you are today really put into perspective the concept of serendipity. Shelly, the slideshow about you and your sister was so cute!! After this project, I've gotten a better understanding of serendipity, and I have found many times in my life where I find myself thinking, "Hmm what a serendipitous moment!"
May 1, 2010 Hi Shelley, Rory, & Brooke, With a topic like Serendipity, you three seemed destined for success right from the start! Fun to say and exciting to contemplate, your theme held automatic appeal and boundless possibility for exploration. And explore you certainly did! In diverse, wide-ranging, and original ways, you gathered impressive and fascinating material to share with us in a terrific variety of areas. Opening with the folktale derivation of serendipity, you segued into philosophy to discuss the butterfly effect, Locke’s free will vs. Hobbes’ s determinism, among others. The videotaped interview with Jeff Kluger about simplexity theory as seen in a guppy offered a very vivid illustration of his ideas and tied into your topic in an interesting way. With Dave Matthews Band supplying background music, a selection of remarkable art came next: Dali’s “Persistence of Memory,” Lichtenstein’s “Wham!,” Ruben’s “A New World,” the Life magazine cover, Wald’s aptly titled “Serendipity,” and Pollack’s “Convergence.” While each of these works reflected your theme well, it was your extraordinarily insightful commentary that made this section so potent. That same sort of perceptive explanation accompanied each literary work you shared, such as Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” “Siddhartha,” and notably, “Gilgamesh.” Including here the excerpt from our class “pen pal correspondence” was an especially clever and effective technique. It was a use of technology I had not seen in experimentals before. Similarly, your use a bit later of voice over (during your Math tie-in about probability) was another sophisticated technological touch. Beyond the walls of Wheatley took you to a tea reader, and so we learned about tasseography. Since you learned of your possible futures, girls, you could have at least shared some examples of what your fortuneteller predicted! Still, like the trip you made to Serendipity, the café, your willingness to adventure in pursuit of firsthand research is commendable. I was very intrigued about the medical link regarding herbal medicine. Does alternative medicine work because of its psychological effect or its actual healing properties? How much efficacy do the herbal pills have? Although the experiment you described seemed interesting, I did not completely follow this and its connection to your topic. I will definitely read more about it on your website. Rabbi White, a frequent and favorite subject of experimental interviews these many years, offered persuasive examples of serendipity from the Bible. I am sure that Isaac felt very lucky indeed that serendipity brought that angel to Abraham in the nick of time! Your interview with Fink did not need to rely on serendipity to be entertaining; Fink pretty much guarantees it! But the serious data about accidental mutation was fascinating to think about. Do we survive as a species truly by design or luck? In a similarly sobering way, your discussion of history provoked much thought too. Jay Somer’s interview raised plenty to think about. The history of war—devastating when one looks at the repetitive nature of our world’s tragic mistakes and our inability to get along—should require us to seek better solutions for our times. I think some commentary at this point to tie the interview to your theme could have enhanced this section. I loved the inclusion of dance with the Cunningham/Cage interview clip. Their philosophy of using chance collaboratively in devising a dance seems incredible and innovative. Since I am familiar with their work, I completely followed this section. Maybe some in the audience, though, would have benefitted from a little bit more explanation. It is amazing that the dances that Cunningham and Cage create manage to seem cohesive works, given their approach. Your film montage was outstanding—fun to watch and totally on point. The very sharp editing made this effective and clever; every clip was a scene that was so evidently relevant to your topic. This takes a lot of time and careful selection, I know, so I am particularly impressed. Some sort of identification of the movie titles would’ve been a good add. Following soon after, your interview with classmate, Michael Landers, stood out as an excellent use of “local talent.” The way his misfortune, breaking his arm, lead to his fortune—becoming a ping pong champion—was such a vivid illustration of serendipity. Likewise, Rory’s third cousin’s winning of the lottery (and the back story, wherein Rory’s family reconnects with long lost relatives) provided additional first hand “twists of fate”. Each of your personal connecti
Each of your personal connections demonstrated that serendipity struck in significant ways in each of your own lives as well. Brooke, the personal history you shared took us back to the Ukraine, to your father’s beginnings. A Southside High School romance eventually lead to you, and as you shared with us, a series of ups and downs only delivered you to East Williston in time for a belated entry to our schools. Serendipity may have been late, but better late than never! Lucky for all of us, Brooke, you did eventually end up where you clearly belong. Shelley, the tight bonds you share with Emily I’ve known about since Emily was a 10P’er back when. You were an important player in HER experimental! In your own, you shared a terrific photo-montage and spoke eloquently of how important Emily is in your life. It’s true that serendipity decides who you end up related to, but it is clear that your parents and others—like Rabbi White, for instance—have been stalwart guides and supporters for you and Emily all your life. Because they value and encourage family bonds, you and Emily do too. The tremendous commitment and love each of you two devotes to each other, more than serendipity or any other factor, probably accounts for the strong sister bond you each have to count on and cherish always. Rory, the incredibly moving story of your adoption, accompanied by a lovely photo-montage and your gorgeous singing of your mom’s revised “I See the Moon,” is a personal connection no one will ever forget. When you first told me you were adopted, one day when we were together in the lobby, my immediate reaction was “Wow, your parents really lucked out!” I know they feel the same way, many thousand times over. You shared with us in such a beautiful way that you, too, feel the same way—that YOU lucked out—and as I know your parents, your mom particularly, I tend to agree. Yet as I suggested to Shelley, serendipity only takes you so far. Luck may have placed you in their arms, but your parents’ love and the love you have for them: that’s not luck; that’s all you and them! You concluded your extraordinary presentation with a summing up of your conclusions and what you had learned. Look to your audience response blog to gather an inkling of what your audience learned. I, for one, learned so much and thank you for an outstanding project. Congratulations, girls
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Landon B.
5/9/2010 01:25:11 am
First of all, you girls are extremely "lucky" that I agreed to be in your Experimental. When I raised my hand, you could easily feel that everyone began to REALLY pay attention to your presentation. Thanks to me, your Experimental was stellar. On a more serious note, I truly believed that your Experimental was among the best this year. Throughout the entire period, your attractive power point as well as your insightful presentation made for a very successful final product. A close second, to my participation, was your personals. All of your connections to your own lives were extremely well thought out. Rory, amazing voice and extremely deep. Your personal truly got everyone to the edges of their seats, in order to hear the sensitivity and beauty in your voice. Brooke, I also found your personal really cool. Even though you didn't do a live performance, your personal connection was still amazing. Very intriguing story about your Dad. Great Job! And Shelley, I wish I had someone like your sister to always be there for me. I have a younger sister, but to be completely honest, she isn't the most helpful. You are very lucky to have a mentor of such high caliber. I also found the part about the fortune teller to be extremely intriguing. I was amazed that she was actually, for the most part, very accurate on her predictions. Very cool aspect of your project! In addition, your introduction was a very good way to start off your presentation. In my opinion, you really need something that will grab the audience's attention from the very beginning. Using Van Dyke was also very clever. Well executed! Overall, amazing Experimental! Everything you girls did was very interesting and well connected to your topic, Serendipity. Congratulations, and I am really happy I was able to help. Your Welcome!!!
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Mahdiyah
5/13/2010 10:07:51 am
This presenation was by far my favorite it was put together beautifully and flowed perfectly from beginig to end. The way you guys began your presentaion really grabbed my attention. The interaction between you and the audience only added makeing it even better.By bringing in the chocolate from Serendipti and seeing how many people had the same birthday you really showed us the true meaning of the word. I also enjoyed the intervies. The research was very well put together exploring many different disciplinens. My favorite part had to be the way you presented the art the constantly changing pictures really addded charchter to the presentation. All the personals were extremly touching and ofcourse you can never go wrong with chocolate chip cookies.
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Michelle Kalish
5/13/2010 11:31:56 am
The parts that really stand out in my memory the most from your presentation were your fantastic introduction and when you described how you chose the topic. The fact that you went into the subject with a completely open mind just really wanting to know what "serendipity" meant was fascinating to me and I loved the background information you found on it. It's probably one of the more interesting word origins I've heard. Using Van Dyke in your introduction was just a kick to a really great idea in using the poem; not to mention the way you read the poem aloud to us in such a way that you were able to switch so fluidly foreshadowed how well you guys would talk throughout the presentation. The fact that all of your personals had to do with the way that you all turned out based upon your families was good because they were all so similar and this made it so that everything wasn't branching too far out, and you could stay on topic. The audience involvement is a wonderful presentation technique (especially when it involved things like chocolate or birthdays), and your usage of this just supplied us with even more moments that would remain memorable about your topic. I loved the fact that you incorporated different types of fate, like the tasseographer, because I find things like that so interesting. Luck and fate are things I've always been interested in, so this was a topic that definitely grabbed me right from the definition and the poem. All in all, I think you did a great job!
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Christine Calamia
5/16/2010 03:50:36 am
Wow, what a wonderful presentation you guys had for us. I truly thought this was a great presentation and had my attention the entire time. I enjoyed how you opened up with the little skit, it was both cute and a good explanation of your topic before you presented it. I enjoyed your topic very much because it’s a very good topic to research and also one of the very interesting ones. You definitely have great art and photography, all making perfect sense and working into your topic. One thing I remember the most was thinking, “what if”. For example, what if I was 5 minutes later to work, what if I decided to drive a little slower, things like this made me think. Many 9/11 stories I hear always have some sort of interesting way to it and have to do with serendipity. Serendipity I feel is discoveries everyday in life and love. I also enjoyed all the stories on your website, they are very interesting and stories that make me say, “Wow, I cant believe that happened”. The story from Sonika Misra also almost happened to my mom. My mom had taken the same train and was also pregnant, just like Sonika’s. That one day she had my dad pick her up instead of going on the train and luckily she hadn’t been on the train. She told me that guy would have been in her train car because she'd sit everyday where he shot those people. All her friends called her all day because they knew that was the train she had taken and on the news it said a pregnant lady was shot, like Sonika, both me and my mom could have not been here today. My favorite part was when you gave away the chocolate under the seat. That was a great skill to get the audience involved and it was also very fun and cute. Your personals by far were very interesting. Rory, you have an amazing voice, and I could listen to it all the time. Telling your story about being adopted was one of the most interesting I’ve heard, because that doesn’t just happen to any of us. That’s where my “what if” question comes in, like “what if” you ended up with another family. Well I’m glad everything worked and you are in our school because this experimental wouldn’t have been a success without you. Brooke, talking about your father from Ukraine was very interesting and then your journey to finally being here. My father is originally from Venezuela, and him moving here and meeting my mom had me end up in this school district as well. But I am glad it all worked out for you, it was a truly interesting personal. Shelly, the bond between your siblings I find is very important. Although my sister is only 10, and sometimes we may have our arguments, we still love each other very much. And listening to how close you and your sister are was very interesting and sweet at the same time. The photo-montage brought it all together and I really understood how close you guys were. I’m still glad you’re able to communicate all the time and I hope she’s having fun at college! This experimental was indeed one of the best I’ve seen and I could tell all the hard work you put into it. Good Job you guys did a great job:)
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Victoria G.
5/16/2010 01:34:40 pm
Hey guys! To start off, your experimental was absolutely amazing-really. I loved how you started off with the story, and it really set the stage for the rest of your presentation. You really covered a lot of things in your 42 minutes, and I was really interested in everything that you spoke about. I especially loved the hidden chocolate bar! It really kept everyone enthused, and active throughout. I also really enjoyed each of your personals. It showed us how everyone has something serendipitous in their life, whether they know it or not. I learned that if you look hard enough into your life, you can find many things that will prove to be serendipitous. I can’t even think of a day since that experimental without hearing something about serendipity. You really taught everyone a lot, and it was a pleasure to be a part of that experience.
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Danielle K
5/17/2010 11:06:37 am
I wanted to just say GREAT JOB. Your experimental was one of my favorites. I really enjoyed watching your performance. I loved your presentation ability and how in detailed your whole presentation was. they way you presented never made me bored and always kept me focused. Your usage of time was perfect and decorations were amazing. One of the most memorable parts would have to be when one of the audience was able to get a chocolate bar. Also when you were able to get one person with the same birthday as Brooke. I really liked these small interactions with the audience. It made your presentation very unique/ different. During the personals I was very touched by all of them. Rory you have an amazing voice, and it was very touched with your personal the most. Brooke your personal really made me think of my life. I too have gone through almost the same experience you have. And Shelly I was able to connect most to your personal, having a sister as well. I am very thankful that I was able to go to this experimental. GREAT JOB!
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Remy H
5/18/2010 12:15:30 pm
Hey guys! First of all, I wanted to congratulate you on an excellent Experimental on your very unique topic of Serendipity. As many other bloggers have stated, I did not know much about Serendipity other than the fact that it encompasses both a beloved restaurant and a romantic comedy about “star-crossed” lovers. However, as bewildered about your topic as I was before I entered the room was equal to how proficient I felt in Serendipitous topics after I left.
Something that struck me immediately as I walked into the room were your creative decorations and accents. Not only did you include the world’s most adored “accidental inventions” on tables throughout the room, something that helped to minimize the immense nature of the room and make it much more intimate, but you also hung playing cards from the ceiling, something that I liked in particular. The idea of “luck” certainly plays into your topic a great deal, and I immediately connected the two when I sat down and directed my attention to right above me.
As the presentation began, you successfully implemented the tool of a comical skit to work the audience’s attention in your favor. It was interactive and entertaining, and it provided us with a brief but informative introduction to the word “Serendipity” and its origins.
You then proceeded to begin the power point aspect of the presentation, which was just one of your many strong points. The graphics were expertly coordinated, showing how you mastered the computer program and had an eye for design that told you what looked good where.
However, these technical aspects were only the tip of the iceberg of your presentation. Your many disciplines flowed fluidly, ranging from probability in math and the lottery to the many examples of literature, movies, and art. I especially loved the tasseography section, which took the personal level of the project to new heights. The fact that the three of you were included in the slideshow gave it your own special touch, something that is not easy to accomplish in the world of Experimentals.
In regards to your use of media, I felt that it was dispersed very equally, and I want to make note of the song “Funny the Way it is” by Dave Matthews Band. Aside from being a great song, it lends itself perfectly to your topic, as fate and destiny (which are both greatly related to serendipity) is usually quite “funny” in the way it works out.
When the time came for your personals, I could not have been more pleased. Each of them covered extremely original topics, and I admire the fact that each of you shared something so very “personal” with an entire room full of students, teachers, and parents. Rory, your tale of adoption was quite touching, and Brooke I know that each of us could not be happier that you moved into our school district. We wouldn’t have been lucky to witness such a fantastic Experimental if serendipity was not present in your life!
Shelley, I found your personal to be quite moving as well. I myself have a very close relationship with my sisters, and it was great to be able to relate so much to your personal.
Finally, I would like to make note on how brilliantly the three of you presented. I didn’t notice one hint of nerves or “stage fright.” Each of you expressed expertise in each of the topics that you discussed, and I was able to trust the information that you were disseminating.
All around, this was an absolutely fantastic Experimental. We are all so lucky to have been able to view it (and I was especially lucky to be included in it! – thank you for that), and I am amazed at how expert I feel that I have become on the subject simply due to the endless information you provided us with. Job well done!
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Renita A.
5/19/2010 11:30:28 am
Hey Rory, Shelley, and Brooke, Your experimental was amazing! it had to be one of my favorites out of all the ones I saw. When I first walked in and saw the cards hanging from the ceiling, it made me want to laugh. I never thought about how luck really plays a great deal into playing cards. People say it all the time, but I never gave much thought to it. I especially loved the way you started your experimental with a skit about the princes of Serendip. It was a very cute way of grabbing everyone's attention, also finishing each other's lines was cute as well. I also liked how all of you were dressed. The t-shirts that had the definition of the word serendipity on it was very creative. I thought it was interesting how you based your experimental upon a restaurant in the city. Another nice touch to your experiemental was the chocolate bar (If I remember correctly) under one of the seats in the audience. It was a perfect example of your topic. The confidence that the three of you had was also very encouraging to the audience and made us want to pay attention to your presentation. I learned a lot about Tasseography, and I enjoyed your artwork as well. What really put your experimental over the top was your personals. Rory, being in chorus together I know just how beautiful your voice is, I also know how hard it is to perform in front of people. You did a beautiful job. The story about how you were adopted was a really thing for your parents I would think. It was very touching, and the song you sang was very moving due to the emotions behind it. Brooke, your story about how your dad was from Ukraine and how your journey along with the rest of our family, that finally ended here was very interesting. Shelley, your speech about your older sister was a very sweet thing to do. You guys seem to be the best of friends, and it makes me wish I had an older sister. Your experimental, as I said before, was amazing! I would not have changed a thing! Congratulations and by the way the chocolate chip cookies at the end were very good!
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Zach Lessen
5/19/2010 12:25:37 pm
You girls had a great experimental. When I first heard the word serendipity I had no clue what it meant. However, after viewing your project I now know Serendipity inside and out. Both creative and informative, your project encompassed the many disciplines of Serendipity. The opening skit of the princes of Serendip, in which Serendipity was derived from, was an original way to engage the audience from the beginning of the presentation. The chocolate bar and the probability of birthdays being on the same day were other fun ways that kept the audience very interested. I enjoyed listening to interviews from all the different types of people; from Rabbi White to the segment on Tasseography to Mike Landers incredible story on how he became a champion. At first I did not believe in luck and fate. However, this project gave me a new perspective on this and now I feel that some of the things that happen in life happen by chance. For example, I found it fascinating that Rory new someone who won the lottery. These winnings usually have some luck to do with it if you are the one out of the millions who play. The three personals showed us how Serendipity applies to you three. Brooke, your personal shared with us your fathers voyage from Ukraine, which ultimately lead you to be at Wheatley today. Shelley, you shared how important your sister is in your life. I guess that serendipity chooses who your siblings are and apparently you had great luck. Rory, your story of adoption combined with your singing of your mother's lullaby was both moving and was very well sung. The amazing chocolate chip cookies capped off an amazing and entertaining project. Congratulations and I hope you three continue to have good luck in the future.
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