Class of 2010 Enjoys Senior Seminars
Young Alumni Present Panel

Senior seminars for the Class of 2010 – under the direction of school counselor Jess Matzkin – were held on April 9, with a second scheduled for April 16. The objective of the seminars is threefold: 1) to offer some valuable tools for transitioning to college and beyond, 2) to share a new perspective from some of the faculty and 3) to give seniors an opportunity to learn something new. Below are the topics that seniors were able to choose from.

April 9

How I Fell in Love With My Dream Life – Mr. Kampmann
Did you miss the opportunity to take Mr. Kampmann’s Dream Class? If so, then don’t miss this seminar.

E-type Jaguar/Milestone Car – Mr. Rasmussen (Razz)
This seminar will explore the technological advances made in the automotive world in the 1950s and 1960s and thereafter. The E-type is universally considered to be one of the top five most beautiful cars ever produced. (This class will be held in the auto shop.)

Varsity CHAT (girls only) –Mrs. Kampmann and a special guest host
Offers an opportunity to talk about sex, drugs, alcohol and relationshps before going off to college. How to live through young adulthood and still respect yourself.

College Life Outside of the Classroom (boys only) – Mr. Dellorco and Mr. Clavel
An opportunity to talk about college life outside of the classroom. Don’t miss the chance to revisit some of CHATs topics as senior guys.

My Life as a Musician – Mr. Stival
For more than 25 years, Mr. Stival has been a member of a very busy band called Cairo, playing in the best clubs from Baltimore to Boston. While there have been opportunities to play music full time over the years, I have always passed on the opportunity as the prospect of making a decent living was always in question. Come and learn about what it’s like to be a working musician, what constitutes Latin percussion and its ubiquitous presence in all sorts of musical genres today.

April 16

It’s All About the Benjamins (and Andrews, Abrahams and Georges): Things You Should Know About Money – Mr. Facciani
This is a simple introduction to personal finance. We’ll discuss credit cards vs. debit cards, the importance of good credit, car loans, taxes and more. The presentation will last about 30 minutes followed by a Q&A to answer all your financial literacy questions.

Sport-touring: Seeing North America on a Motorcycle – Mr. Rasmussen (Razz)
This seminar will entail the customization of a motorcycle as a springboard to four cross-country sightseeing trips, making friends, and raising money for two charities.

Top 10 Coolest Things About Marine Science – Mr. Gerdsen
Couldn’t fit Marine Science with Mr. Gerdsen into your senior year schedule but wanted to? Ever wonder what that thing was that stung you over Spring Break in Cancun? Have you heard Mr. Gerdsen is an entertaining and sometimes off-the-wall teacher and you wanted to see him work in person? If so, this is the senior seminar for you. Through a combination of PowerPoint lectures, images, video and first-hand stories, we will look at the most interesting and sometimes outrageous facts about life in the oceans. You will learn that many of the commonly held beliefs about the ocean are in fact fiction, and that fact is many times more stimulating. In the end, you will have an impressive supply of informational nuggets that you can use to impress family and friends.

Building and Sustaining a Professional Network from High School, through College and Beyond – Mr. Pagotto and Mr. O’Hara
Real life stories about how a personal network beats Monster.com and responding to classified ads any day of the week when it comes to landing a job. But like anything, a personal network takes time to develop and it has to be nurtured and strengthened. Mr. O’Hara and Mr. Pagotto will talk about how they have seized opportunities through good connections, working their personal network, and never burning bridges.

College Life 101 – Recent Blair graduates return to discuss their varied college experiences; Q & A afterward. Participants and their respective colleges include AJ Kizekai ’06, Bucknell; Emmy Rodriguez ’09, Barnard; Alexa Gilmartin ’08, Montclair and Michael Richards ’08, Drew.

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Updated 4/19/2010

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