Pixel Festival 2023 Wrap Up

Pixel Festival, one of the most awaited events at Stanford OHS, happened this month on January 14th. Students, teachers, and parents alike all look forward to this day, as it gives a chance to catch up with familiar faces and meet new people as well through a variety of activities that took place all day long. Located on the Stanford campus, there was always an event to attend and enjoy.

The day started at 8:00 am with registration and breakfast, and a first chance to meet up with old and new classmates. Several teachers, including Dr. Vetter, Ms. Sundaresan, and Dr. Gilula, were also there from the beginning and helped check in students and parents who arrived during the first hour. Throughout the hour, students and parents were able to strike up conversations with multiple teachers and discuss topics away from the classroom discussions. Many participants also met up with friends and ate breakfast together before the day began.

9:00 am rolled around, and students and families broke off to participate in different activities in the Lane History Center on Stanford Campus. The students had fun getting to know each other better, with the high schoolers doing some unique icebreakers while the middle schoolers participated in a scavenger hunt with multiple puzzles throughout different rooms. The online version got underway at 9:30 am with online games and activities as well. Pixel Festival had only just gotten started, and there was still so much to look forward to!

After the activities finished around 10:00 am, the students gathered together to watch, and even participate, in a series of student showcases. Many students participated or even hosted their own showcase in various rooms at the Lane History Center. These presentations included piano and guitar performances, a martial arts display, a robotics showcase, multiple talks led by students, and some led by teachers as well such as the Pixelia Showcase with Magister Hendrickson, Dhru (’23), and Zach (’23), and a conversation on The Andy Warhol Case, one of the current cases in the U.S. Supreme docket, led by Dr. Zarlengo and Aston (’24). Parents, students, and teachers all enjoyed the wide variety of presentations available during the hour. There were also presentations online from OHS students Susie (’25) and Gene (’26) with violin performances and Benjamin (’25) playing the piano.

After the showcases ended at 11:00 am, everyone went for lunch to relax with friends before the rest of the day took place. Students talked and ate together and also took the time to explore the Stanford campus, walking through some of the parks and visiting the bookstore where there was a dedicated section for Stanford OHS merchandise!

Next at 1:00 pm, keynote speaker and Stanford University professor Dr. James Fishkin hosted a talk on the topic of Deliberative Democracy. With people watching in-person and also tuning in online, countless students, parents, and teachers joined to hear Dr. Fishkin discuss the idea and the work he has done around the world. Core professors such as Dr. Rees and students found some striking similarities between his speech and the OHS core class, Democracy Freedom and the Rule of Law, and were able to relate to his presentation during their next class discussions.

Once the talk was over at 2:00 pm, everyone divided into groups to attend various activities happening all across campus. Students were able to choose from a wide range of activities led by Stanford OHS instructors and staff. Some of the activities included Nature Journaling with Dr. Vetter, Rangoli Drawings with Ms. Revathi and Dr. Gupta, a tour of Stanford University’s student-led newspaper, The Stanford Daily, led by its editor-in-chief Stanford student Sam Catania, and basketball with Dr. Steele and Dr. Gilula. Parents were also able to attend a few activities of their own, which included talks given by Stanford OHS staff and instructors. Some of these presentations included Dr. Khatchiriain’s on the Core Advanced Topics Course, "Transformative Experience, Other Minds and Rational Choice”. Dr. Hendrickson also held a talk on the Latin Prose and Poetry class, and Dr. Lamont and Ms. Varveris hosted a film discussion on the movie RACE to Be Human. In addition to the in-person activities, there were also many online events to attend for those enjoying Pixel Festival remotely. Students could do fiber arts with Dr. Hicks, and play the game Exquisite Corpse with Mr. Hrusovsky. Parents could also tune in to a presentation by Dr. Zarlengo, Dr. Hruska, and Dr. Washburn on the upper-level English courses at Stanford OHS, a middle school town hall with Ms. Shields, or the film discussion with Dr. Lamont and Ms. Varveris as well. These countless activities were held both in-person and online all in the span of two hours, and there was bound to be something for everyone.

When the activities finished up at around 4:00 pm, that was a wrap on the day session of Pixel Festival. Students and parents headed back to their hotels or homes to rest up and get ready for the Winter Formal.

Once 7:00 pm rolled around, students and parents began showing up for the Winter Formal. Students headed to the 3rd floor of the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center while parents stayed on the 1st floor. The students landed on the 3rd floor to find an array of white, silver, and gold decorations following this year’s theme of starlight, setting the event with an ethereal vibe. Adriana (’25) and the winter formal committee did an amazing job planning the theme and also decorating all around with string lights, balloons, and more. With dinner, board games, dancing, and a photo booth, there was something for everyone at the Winter Formal to enjoy. Whether you like to enjoy more quiet time and relax with a few games or get lost in the crowd on the dance floor, you can find something to your liking and people to pass the time with! Many students were able to catch up with old friends, meet up with others for the first time in person, and introduce themselves to entirely new students as well. Some teachers also made an appearance, including Dr. Rees and Mr. Bennette, who helped around during the event.

The night ended at around 10:00 pm and everyone headed back filled with new friendships and memories to hold onto. From the wide range of activities to enjoy to the grand and welcoming feel of the Stanford campus, Pixel Festival holds a special place amongst the great events that happen during the year at Stanford OHS. Whether you’re a teacher who has been at OHS since the beginning, a first-year student still getting to know everyone, or a parent, there’s truly something for everyone at Pixel Festival to enjoy and create an unforgettable experience.