On January 26, the Matsiko World Orphan Choir performed for all Lakehill students. 

The choir is part of the International Children's Network, whose mission is to provide orphaned and at-risk children sponsorship for a complete education.  By doing so, every child will be on equal footing with their nation's most privileged children, and they will return to their villages to help other children.  

The choir is comprised of students from Peru, Liberia, and India. The children shared their lives and culture through song and dance. 

Lakehill's response was enthusiastic. "They were so passionate about their performance," said junior Anna-Maria Springman. The children were so talented and energetic. You could tell that they truly loved what they were doing."  

Matsiko is a Ugandan word for "hope." The word embodies both the children and the songs that they sing.  

In Jeremy Holman's chemistry classes, students are studying stoichiometry, the part of chemistry that studies amounts of substances that are involved in reactions. They are applying this knowledge by making their own paint, while learning the principles of solubility of compounds, limiting reactants, and percent yield of products in chemical reactions.  

Students dissolve small amounts of compounds like zinc sulfate and silver nitrate in water to make solutions that are often clear and colorless. However, when they mix the various solutions, a chemical reaction occurs and solids start precipitating out of the mixture.  

These solids are often brilliant colors that can be filtered, dried, and then mixed with oil, acrylic, or egg yolk to make paint. Students created artwork with their colors, as artists have done for centuries. This artistic blend of creativity and chemistry is currently on display outside Upper School Science Lab 2. 

Eighteen members of the Lakehill Upper School Debate team participated in the State Debate Conference, held on January 30 - February 1 in Austin. Two students participated in the Model United Nations and 16 in the State Affairs Forum. The delegates were also able to schedule a tour of the capitol on their way into Austin.  

Lakehill's Model United Nations team represented Paraguay this year. As a member of the Political and Security Committee, Monty McKnight authored two proposals that were passed before the General Assembly. The Model UN program has grown so much that the YMCA will hold a separate state conference for the program beginning next year. Lakehill will participate in the Dallas Invitational for Model UN in April.  

Lakehill had five teams in State Affairs Forum representing proposals ranging from fracking to education. Chambliss Pierson, Allison Riemer and McKinney Waggoner's proposal on the pre-harvest treatment of livestock was the top ranked proposal in committee one.  

Additionally, Pierson was recognized as a Distinguished Delegate for her outstanding performance in pro/con debate. Lakehill was named Distinguished Delegation for the second consecutive year, and Monty McKnight received an award for Outstanding Club Member.