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Recognized for Racial Justice

05.26.21

Recognized for Racial Justice

Madisyn Cunningham ’23 has received a Princeton Prize in Race Relations certificate of accomplishment.

Madisyn’s dean, Jannely Almonte Ortiz, nominated her for the award, saying, “Madisyn is a leader in the BSDC or Black Students Demand Change for New York City private schools. It is an organization started by Madisyn and a couple of other Riverdale students with the express purpose of being the voice amplifier of Black students in private schools across New York City. Madisyn has had several key roles and is working on expanding the organization’s reach within New York City and beyond. Because of BSDC, Black students are starting to feel seen and heard as they are influencing change in our community. Madisyn is passionate about change, but also wants to empower other Black students to feel like they can do the same.”

The Princeton Prize in Race Relations operates through 28 regional committees and an at-large committee. Each committee is responsible for awarding one Princeton Prize and may also award certificates of accomplishment for notable work. Madisyn will be honored at a virtual awards ceremony organized by the New York City Committee. Learn more.

Roger Rees New Faces Finalist

05.25.21

Roger Rees New Faces Finalist

Sam Baum ’22 is one of 24 New York City-area finalists for The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance. Sponsored by the Broadway Education Alliance, the award recognizes excellence in solo student performance in singing, acting, and dance. Sam performed a monologue from “The Graduate.” Learn more about the award.

Presidential Scholar

05.14.21

Presidential Scholar

The U.S. Department of Education has recognized Julia Brand ’21 as a U.S. Presidential Scholar. A Riverdale student since kindergarten, Julia is a member of the varsity tennis and golf teams in addition to being an outstanding student. She is one of 161 students nationwide to receive this honor. She will attend Stanford University in the fall. Read more.

Students Recognized in New York Times

03.11.21

Students Recognized in New York Times

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Times Learning Network asked teenagers around the country to describe their experience during this time in words, images, audio, and video. The Times received more than 5,500 responses; Arianna Hellman ’22 and Brianna Hernandez ’23 were named finalists. The Times published a front-page article featuring some of the finalists; here’s a complete listing.

Environmental Activist for Indigenous Peoples

02.17.21

Environmental Activist for Indigenous Peoples

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim spoke via Zoom at the 11th annual Jolli Humanitarian Award assembly. A member of the Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad and the co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, she is working to bring the voices of indigenous people into decisions about managing the effects of climate change and conserving natural resources. Watch video.

Recognition for Cellist

02.04.21

Recognition for Cellist

Congratulations to Henri Yoon ’22, a finalist in the national YoungArts competition in music! You can hear him perform at 58:20 in this video on the YoungArts Foundation Youtube channel.

No More Kickoffs

02.03.21

No More Kickoffs

Working with the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Athletics Director John Pizzi helped organize a study that has led to major changes in how football practices and games will be managed in the Metropolitan Independent Football League. No more kickoffs! Read story.

Game Jam

12.15.20

Game Jam

Think of it as “The Great British Baking Show” for gamers. Jonah Stockwell ’23 and Alden Eberts ’23 hosted the first-ever game jam last weekend as part of the RivTech/Game Design activity group. Participants had the weekend to design a game from scratch related to the theme “out of time.” They created Dashing for Time (Lauren Lee ’23 and Alden Eberts ’23); Out of Thyme (Dashiell Bhattacharyya ’23 and David Ganz ’23); and the winner, Time Agent Bamboo (Jonah Stockwell ’23). Click the links to play.

Impressions Wins Award

12.04.20

Impressions Wins Award

The 2019-2020 edition of Impressions, Riverdale’s arts and literary magazine, is a finalist in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association contest for high school print literary magazines. Read magazine.

Column on Refugees

10.28.20

Column on Refugees

In an opinion column for CNN, Maya Rackoff ’21 argues that refugees benefit America. “Following years of refugee work,” she writes, “I’ve seen firsthand that people willing to upend their lives and embark upon treacherous journeys in hope of a better and safer future are rarely lazy or dependent on others. They work hard, persist, and create.” Read column.

Jacob Shin '21 on NPR

10.27.20

Jacob Shin '21 on NPR

Violist Jacob Shin ’21 is featured in a segment on the National Public Radio program, “From the Top.” A student of Patinka Kopec at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division, Jacob delved into music after suffering two concussions playing football. He says that music saved him. “I pursued it like I had never done before,” he said. “It was like a fire was ignited in me.” You can hear him perform Sonata in F minor, Op. 120 mvmt 1 by Johannes Brahms.

Calvin Hill '65

10.17.20

Calvin Hill '65

A Riverdale football legend, Calvin Hill ’65, left, photographed with Coach Frank Bertino, played football for Yale and then running back for the NFL for 12 years. On Oct. 17 during a virtual homecoming and reunion event, he spoke with Riverdale Athletics Director John Pizzi about his Riverdale experience, NFL football, and life lessons. Watch video.