By piecing together data on the shards, which are housed at the British Museum in London, Goedel determined that they were originally created between the 10th and 11th centuries by Islamic artists who traded on the “Silk Road,” which once connected Asia to southeast Europe and Africa. Amid the fragments, he found one piece that was a-typical for Turkenistan during that period. Based on its composition, Goedel said he believes that it was a “luxury item” that came from what is now Syria. Goedel said he wants to visit the British Museum one day soon to see the glass shards up close.

Goedel is captain of the cross-country and indoor and outdoor cross-country teams at Kennedy, as well as an assistant track coach for the Bellmore-North Bellmore Police Activity League. In addition, he is the co-founder of Kennedy’s Gay-Straight Alliance, which he began during his sophomore year, in May 2011, and a member of Athletes Helping Athletes and yearbook.

Goedel said he hopes to attend an eight-year medical program through Albany Medical College and either Siena College or Union College. He wants to become a medical examiner.

Joshua Pollock, 17,

Of Merrick

For his Intel project, Pollock said he chose to study autism because his twin brother, Zachary, was diagnosed with the disorder at an early age. He was considered “high-functioning,” though, and in his early teens he asked to be removed from the special-education track at school. Zachary was already an “inclusion” student, which allowed him to study in mainstream classes, with help from a special-education teacher. But he wanted to be fully mainstreamed, like his brother.

This year, Zachary will graduate from Kennedy with a 93 average in mainstream classes and an acceptance letter to SUNY Farmingdale, where he plans to study computer engineering.