May Project provides avenue for unique exploration

From painting Hungarian landscapes to finding the best steak in Chicago, seniors have used their May projects to find creative ways to gain experience exploring personal interests. The project period began May 6. Seniors are required to present their findings to at least one class before participating in an exhibit that will be held in Upper Kovler on May 30 from 12:30-2:30 and 6-8 p.m.

Hannah Dinner: “I am building a scale for Lab’s beehives that would provide live updates of the weight of the beehives, as well as other factors like temperature and humidity, on a website online. I really enjoy working with electronics and have spent a lot of time working with them for Science Olympiad. Additionally, Dr. Calleri mentioned that he would be interested in having a scale for Lab’s beehives, so I thought May Project would be a good opportunity to apply my previous experience working with electronics to make something that might be useful to others. I hope to expand my knowledge of electrical components and also learn about bees and beekeeping.”

Ana Grieve: “I am researching the life of nuns, working alone. At the end of the month, I will be staying with the Poor St. Clare nuns in Belleville, Illinois, for three days. I was inspired to research the life of nuns after receiving a tour of a convent from a nun in Spain, and realizing that this was a way of life that was quickly dying out. I wanted to research it before it was no longer possible. I do not have any religious background, which I anticipated to be a significant challenge, and is why I emphasized researching the lifestyle of nuns as much as I am. Additionally, there are many significant lifestyle differences such as fasting and vows of silence that have proven to be challenges.”

Jacob Liu:

“My May project is titled ‘Experimenting with Music,’ and I’m producing a compilation of digital music that will be released on listening platforms by the end of the project. I alternate between working at home on my computer and going to the music studio at Lab, where I collaborate with other seniors, though I am formally working on the project alone. My inspiration for my May Project came from my ongoing interest in digital music production. I have been producing music as a hobby on the side for five or six years and was introduced to it in middle school by a friend. May project is an opportunity to dedicate my full attention to music since I had only been producing whenever I had free time.”

Elizabeth Oyler (with Areen Khan):

“For our May project, Areen and I are going to go around Oman and the United Arab Emirates for 10 days. As we come from different backgrounds — my information mostly comes from media, while Areen has family ties to the area — we hope to learn more about the cultural landscapes, tourism sectors, and societal narratives of these nations. Our project is inspired by our different backgrounds and points of view. We are fascinated by Oman and the United Arab Emirates’ cultural, geopolitical and tourism features and want to learn more about them through immersive travel experiences. For my part, I want to learn more about the complex relationships between culture and tourism. By comparing the viewpoints of tourists and locals in Oman and the UAE, I intend to learn more about how tourism affects local culture and deepen my understanding of these areas.”

Maurice Neuman:

“I am working as a sous-chef in the kitchen of one-Michelin star restaurant Sepia, located in the West Loop of Chicago. I work in the mornings and evenings, six days a week, and I help with tasks such as food prep and cooking and plating food in the evenings.

I have been cooking since I was very young; both my mother and my grandmother are avid chefs. I enjoy making my family dinner and just being in the kitchen. I am considering taking a gap year/semester to go to culinary school, so I saw May project as the perfect opportunity to get a taste of what the restaurant/food industry is like. I hope to develop my cooking skills and meet new people. I also hope to gain a greater understanding of whether this is something I would like to pursue in the future.”

Alula Teklu:

“I saw a TikTok about Ethiopian food and audibly said, ‘I gotta be able to make this on my own.’ Despite growing up within an Ethiopian community, I sometimes find myself feeling a sense of disconnection from my cultural roots. Engaging in this culinary exploration feels like a meaningful step towards bridging that gap.”

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