Editorial: Hillside’s Neel Sood Finds Harmony Between Math and Music

At Hillside Intermediate School, sixth grader Neel Sood might look like your typical student—eager to finish his classwork so he can dash outside to join friends on the playground. But behind that youthful energy lies a remarkable blend of passions that recently earned him national recognition.

Neel, who loves both mathematics and music, has managed to unite the two in an award-winning way. His project, “Chorus Members Song Choice for Spring Concert – Boys versus Girls,” earned Second Place in the American Statistical Association’s National Data Visualization Poster Competition for Grades 4–6.

Working under the guidance of Hillside’s dedicated Choral Director Tony Sgro, Neel transformed a simple classroom tradition into a compelling statistical study. Each year, chorus students vote on a song for the spring concert. Neel used this data to explore whether boys and girls differed in their preferences—and he presented his findings in a creative, visually engaging poster that caught the eye of national judges.

The award comes with publication in Amstat News, a feature on the ASA website, and a $200 honorarium—but more importantly, it shines a spotlight on how curiosity, creativity, and perseverance can elevate a student’s everyday interests into extraordinary achievement.

Neel, ever modest, explained:

“Two of my loves are math and music, so I came up with this idea to see if the boys in our school and their choices for the spring concert varied from the choices of the girls.”

That simple idea, rooted in genuine passion, has now placed him on a national stage.

Of course, this isn’t Neel’s first academic triumph. He has been a four-time winner of Hillside’s Continental Math League Competition and has taken home both regional and national medals for finishing first in math contests. His mother, Supriya Sood, summed it up well:

“This poster competition gave Neel the chance to apply his mathematical skills to his love of music in a new and exciting way.”

The Hillside community is beaming with pride. Principal Dr. Tali Axelrod praised Neel’s accomplishment, calling it “a big honor” and a true celebration of student excellence. Mr. Sgro, meanwhile, sees a deeper lesson in Neel’s work:

“Neel’s creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance represent the very best of our students here at Hillside.”

The American Statistical Association’s competition is designed to help students tell stories with data, sharpen statistical reasoning, and communicate findings in ways that are both clear and engaging. Neel’s project hit all those marks while also reflecting the joyful connection between art and science.

For those who want to see his award-winning work firsthand, Neel’s poster can be viewed here: View Poster.

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