Pass or fail. The thought of this subject reminds many of college days and general education, but students can also expect to see seniors struggling through their revamped group assignment under the same headline.

?I am a little nervous about the pass or fail part,? Anthony Wilson, ?08, said. ?The interviews are definitely going to be tough and I am not used to one-on-one conversations and asking specific opinionated questions.?

Associate Principal Jon Endicott and English teacher Molly Sargent worked to change the senior project into a more focused assignment. The 8-10 minute presentation will stress students? ability to evaluate and explain information through the use of two mandatory interviews and research.

?It?s going much better than last year, it?s more academic,? Sargent said, ?similar to college projects and gives practice in analysis and synthesis.?

Supervisors want students to use analytic interpretation to form opinion on a variety of issues within society.

?This will sound really bad, but we?re talking about getting marijuana legalized for medicinal drugs,? Rachel Balint, ?08, said. ?For our own topic we were just going to talk about the pros and cons of marijuana, but through our research we found that marijuana had few negatives as a medicinal drug.?

Endicott says that controversial topics will help students define their project and stay focused to give the presentations depth.

?So far this year has been better,? Endicott said. ?It?s been a challenge to get students to focus on controversial issues, they think that they can just do a report, but that?s not the point.?

Unlike last year?s road trip project, based off of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, the ?08 seniors are given the freedom to choose their own topic, the only requirement is that the subject must have a compelling issue involved.

?Last year the project became an issue over grading, a few students spent quite a bit of money on the visual side,? Sargent said, ?but the purpose was not monetary or visual. This was counter productive so we eliminated the visual presentation.?

With the removal of a required poster board presentation students will be allowed to use videos and slideshows to supplement their project.

?The multimedia should enhance the message of the presentation,? Endicott said. ?We want students to show and not just tell the effects of their issue.?

Although most seem to prefer group problems, some find one person is left with doing all the work. However, with the revised project, seniors have the option to work solo or as a duo.

Those working independently have their speech time reduced into five minutes.

?We gave the option, because we thought that some individuals would be more comfortable,? Sargent said, ?even though it would be more work, it is their preference.?

Working together provides seniors with an opportunity to forge new relationships and share the bulk of the workload.

?Working with a partner has both benefits and a downfall,? Balint said. ?While you don?t have as much work, you still have to work hard so that you don?t bring your partner down.?

Even though the purpose of the project has appeared to change some seniors wish that the content had not.

?I think last years? project was interesting, finding hotels and getting all the details done would be helpful for the real world,? Balint said, ?but this project will definitely prepare me for the presentations I hear about in college.?

The project also reflects the school?s three goals for all students, K-12 grades.

?This project is a great way to combine the three most important things at our school, K-12 grades,? Endicott said, ?which are think critically, communicate effectively and integrate scriptural learning. It?s a great capstone for the senior?s K-12 educational career.?

Not only does the project present students with an assessment of their academic knowledge, but it appears to prepare them for the future.

?I think it has been very helpful, students will encounter the same kind of projects in college,? Endicott said, ?maybe not the same topic but the same kind. The presentation isn?t something we?ve done in English classes and we don?t have a speech class. Because of the rise of plagiarism professors will have students do more in class essays and speeches.?