Tarmac Online

Andrew Dargento ‘28

This coming Wednesday, May 20th, Chaminade will host its first Research Symposium in the Activity-Athletic Center. This new event will give students from AP Seminar, AP Research, the Science Research Program, and the Math Research Program the opportunity to present the projects they have worked on throughout the school year.

The event will follow a gallery-walk, science fair-like format, which will allow guests to move from project to project and speak directly to student presenters. Families, faculty, alumni, and select members of the incoming Class of 2030 will attend, making the Symposium both a celebration of current student achievement and a showcase of Chaminade’s growing research opportunities.

Mr. Robert O’Keefe, ‘04, Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction and an administrative organizer of the event, describes the symposium as “a platform for our students and their work.” For students who have spent months researching, writing, experimenting, and preparing presentations, the event provides an opportunity to share their work with an audience beyond the classroom.

Mr. Andrew Salecker, ‘12, Chaminade’s AP Seminar teacher, whose students will be presenting at the Symposium, says that the goal is to “take these projects that students have been working on all throughout the year and give them a bigger stage and audience to be able to showcase their work.” Instead of presenting solely to a teacher or classmates, students will be able to explain their ideas clearly to parents, alumni, younger students, and other guests. 

That experience is especially important for research students. Dr. Karen Kuntz, who teaches Science Research, notes, “A very important skill in scientific communication is being able to explain your work to a wider audience, so this is great practice for our students.”

Sophomore James Stiehl, a student in AP Seminar, says the symposium will help people see the effort behind each project. “A lot of people only see the final presentation,” Stiehl says, “but this is a chance to show the process behind it and how much work students actually put into their projects.”

The Symposium also represents the continued growth of research at Chaminade. In recent years, Science Research and Math Research have expanded, while AP Seminar and AP Research have added even more opportunities for students interested in argument-based and independent academic research. Next year, Chaminade will introduce Social Science Research, giving the school another research-focused course.

In today’s world, research skills are more important than ever. With so much information available instantly, students need to learn how to move beyond surface-level understanding. Chaminade’s research programs help students to ask meaningful questions, evaluate information carefully, and think critically. As Mr. O’Keefe explains, “Modern culture is conditioning young people to be satisfied with surface-level knowledge, but our research program directly counters that influence.”

According to Mr. O’Keefe, Chaminade is “always looking to grow, evolve, and offer our students better opportunities.” With research now connected to Science, Math, English, and soon Social Studies, the school will have a footprint of research in each core academic department. 

For Dr. Kuntz, this growth is an important part of Chaminade’s academic future. “I feel like a strong research program is an important next step for Chaminade’s academic growth,” she says. She believes this continuous advancement will “[allow] students to strengthen their skills and grow as lifelong learners.”

Another significant part of the event will be the presence of alumni. Chaminade’s alumni network has always been a major part of the school community, and the Symposium will give graduates a chance to see how student research has developed. It also has the potential to form new connections between students and alumni working in fields related to their projects.

“The alumni network at Chaminade is magnificent,” Mr. O’Keefe says. “So the more we can put the people at each stage of that network together, the more value they’ll get out of each other.”

The Symposium will also welcome select members of the Class of 2030. For incoming freshmen, the event will offer an early look at what they can look forward to accomplishing in Chaminade’s research programs.

Lukas Dargento, an incoming freshman in the class of 2030, notes that he is excited to see what current students have been working on. “I think it will be cool to see the kinds of projects students are already doing,” Lukas says. “It gives incoming freshmen an idea of what opportunities we will have access to once we get there.”

Dr. Kuntz says she hopes younger students “will be able to see all of the great work our students have done and be inspired to join one of our research classes in the future.”

As Chaminade prepares for its first Research Symposium, the event stands as more than just a night of presentations. It is a chance for students to share their hard work, for alumni to reconnect with the school, and for incoming freshmen to see what’s in store for the years ahead.

As Mr. Salecker says, “It’s exciting to be a part of something that’s helping Chaminade students develop these skills at such a young age.”