Page 17 - Menlo Magazine: Summer/Fall 2018

Gladiator Trials
After concluding a historic season in March, Menlo Mock Trial sent Tiffany Tam ’18, Luke Arnold ’19, and understudy Madeline Levin ’21 to the annual Individual National Championship in Irvine,
CA, in July. Known as the
“Gladiator Tournament,” the
event showcases some of the
best mock trial competitors
in the world. Tiffany took the
top prize as the Individual Champion. She is the first student to win from the prosecution side and earned the highest total attorney scores in preliminary rounds ever. She continued Menlo’s dominant streak at the national championships, joining Andy Parker ’16, who won the tournament in 2016. Luke also brought home an Honorable Mention award following a crucial fourth-round win as an attorney.
Botball Battles
Menlo Robotics made its first appearance at the Global Conference on Educational Robotics in Indian Wells, CA, this past summer. The team, captained by Arushi Sahai ’19 and Vivian Liu ’19, came away with Second Prize. Menlo also sent a team to the Northern California Botball Tournament at NASA, where the students placed fourth overall and received awards for their documentation and team spirit.
Creatures of Comfort
The Mental Health @ Menlo club partnered with Jasper Ridge Farm to surprise Upper School students prior to the start of AP and final exams. Jasper Ridge Farm brought a flock of therapy animals—a pony, sheep, bunnies, goats, and chickens—to campus for students to hold and pet to help relieve stress.
MENLO MAGAZINE
Sincere Conversations
In the spring, Upper School teacher Margaret Ramsey’s senior English class met with several Menlo grandparents for student- driven discussions on important questions they had about
life, framed by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s notions of “sincere conversations.” In a follow-up class, students connected themes between their multiple conversations and literature
they’ve been reading and considered how those lessons might apply to their lives as they age.
Menlo Drama Gives Back
The cast of the joint Middle and Upper School production
of Oliver! raised more than $2,200 for Truckers against Trafficking, which works to combat human trafficking in the United States. Over the past five years, Menlo Drama has raised more than $32,200 in support of various nonprofits and social justice issues.
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