The year droned on as we struggled to keep our heads above water and tried to keep up with the ideas of a crazed man. ?It will all make sense in the end,? he would tell us.

The conglomeration of books, discussions, and pages of scattered notes filled our minds as we prepared for the final essay, the capstone of the year.

The students of Mr. (Greg) Stobbe?s English III honors class began the year with confidence, which was soon turned to uncertainty as to the destination of the course. This annual feeling of frustration among the students was no surprise for Mr. Stobbe, who persisted in telling us that the pieces would fall into place.

Slowly, through books of various nature, discussions of their themes and authors’ lives helped to ensure that the pieces did indeed fall into place.

Books by C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan brought us a Christian perspective, which reassured us that we were on the right track. On the other hand, books by Albert Camus and the study of existentialist philosophers muddled our previously clear concepts.

Throughout the year we learned to sift what authors communicated to apply truth and recognize tainted variations. Although some were still unsure as to what their capstone essay would encompass, we all knew what was expected.

We had been forced to think beyond schoolwork in an effort to find truth, which will structure our futures as students and adults.