Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96432
Similarly, Laura Steenveld Hamilton, middle school drama teacher, assures parents each spring that any student can participate in the play. "I tell them that everyone who comes out for the play will be cast and that everyone I cast will have a speaking part," says Steenveld Hamilton. To Steenveld Hamilton, this means all actors will have a named role and at least one line. Her strategy is to create meticulous rehearsal schedules that work around her actors' other commitments. With this degree of flexibility and inclusiveness, she is often able to introduce students to the stage who might not normally consider performing arts. This was the experience of Renie Finch's sons Eric '14 and T.J. '12. "I never ever thought my boys would be interested in acting, and I was surprised when they signed up for the middle school play," she says. "For T.J., in particular, theater has turned out to be huge part of his life at Latin. It is the activity he has been most committed to for all four years of high school." Student-Driven While the middle school extracurricular program gives students space and support as they explore, it also encourages them to begin taking responsibility for their interests. my PASSION Simon Ricci '16 My passion is competing in spelling bees. I have been spelling competitively since third grade, when I participated in the lower school spelling bee and placed second to Remy Dhingra. It made me realize that spelling can be pretty exciting. Since then, I have participated in spelling competitions at Latin and around the Chicago area. Last May, I qualified for and competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. and plan to go back this year. My lower school teachers Ms. Ott, Ms. Frohlich, Mr. Schneider and Mrs. Thompson were the first people to encourage me to get into spelling. In middle school, Ms. Ruiz, (language arts) has gone out of her way to support my interest. She separated the lower and middle school spelling bees to get more kids involved in the middle school, and she even traveled to Washington D.C. last year to see me in the National Bee. I enjoy the studying and preparation required to succeed in spelling. For the past couple of years, I have spent about an hour a day studying spelling, and I have probably learned more than 35, 000 words in my spelling career. At the National Bee, I made it to the third round, and I'm looking forward to trying to improve on that this year. Spelling is a unique sort of sport because the best competitors in the world are under the age of 15. Furthermore, it is unusual in that every contestant is facing the pressure of the fact the no mistakes are allowed. One wrong letter will eliminate a contestant for good. 20 Latin Magazine