It was a night filled with career explorations, community service and seniors trying to prove themselves as they move one step closer to finishing high school. Graduation projects were presented on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Several district-level changes implemented this year affected the seniors. To begin with, graduation project books were not printed this year. Students accessed all information concerning the projects online. Students had to sign in and out of the event to prove they had stayed for the whole night. More classrooms were also used this year to accommodate the teachers who evaluate the projects, and each project was evaluated by three teachers, instead of the just the advisor as it had previously been done. The judges graded each student separately and then took the average of the three grades to determine the student’s final grade. Presentations were scheduled every fifteen minutes, and they were required to last five to seven minutes.

“The changes this year definitely made the project harder,” said senior Mirrissa Parker. Derek Schlosser said, “They seemed unfair and came into play way late.” English teacher Mr. William Hetrick said, “I liked seeing the kids who were not comfortable with public speaking do a good job.” Many seniors felt the projects were worthwhile. Alysha Cormier, who completed a career exploration on photography, said, “My project will have an impact on my future plans. Photography has always been a dream of mine, and my senior project helped me look into it more. I’ve now decided I am going to enter the Air Force as a public affairs photographer.”

Senior Hallie Kirdahy co-chaired the Saegertown Women’s Improvement Club’s (SWIC) 13th annual golf outing. Kirdahy raised a total of $7,578. She said, “It was an eye opening experience. I never realized how much effort went into a project like that. Even though the outing was a daunting task, it was worth it in the end, because I know the members of the SWIC will use the money to improve our community.” Kirdahy was not the only one who raised an extraordinary amount of money. Senior Brittany Gentry raised about $9,000, and after all the bills had been paid off, she had about $5,000 left. Gentry produced, directed, and starred in a Patsy Cline musical. “It was the best experience I have had so far in my life,” said Gentry.

According to Assistant Principal Mrs. Laurie Kantz there will be more changes to come next year. The presentation time will be from 6-8:30, instead of 6:30-8:30, to accommodate the size of next year’s senior class. Commenting on this year’s projects, she said, “I thought they turned out well. I was nervous because it was my first year. Parents overall seemed to be pleased.”

(article reprinted from Issue 5 of The Panther Press, released Jan. 27)