Whitcomb HS Seniors Present Plethora of Senior Projects
By Chris Costanzo

Even a casual observer at Whitcomb High School’s senior projects night Wednesday, Jan. 24, could see that some of Whitcomb seniors had a real blast doing their projects.

Scott Karlen, following the call of his ancestors, learned to play the bagpipes and acquired much about the history of the instrument as well. Joshua Turk’s theme was "Dancing Through life." It involved preparing and participating in a musical at Chandler Music Hall, and vastly increased his understanding of the performing arts. Rebecca Major went on a cruise—not actually a luxury cruise, but a hard lesson manning a sailing ship around Cape Cod. Cody Griffin appeared at first glance to have had a great time with his beloved Beagle "Jill," but it involved training a member of an energetic, stubborn, crafty breed of dogs to be an efficient hunting companion and to respond to human commands.

Faculty member Paul Noiseux, who coordinated the event, explained that the projects are a lot of hard work. Whitcomb’s seniors choose their themes while still juniors, and pick a mentor from the community, who is knowledgeable about the field, to guide and advise them as the project unfolds. In the summer before their senior year, the seniors start a detailed journal of their progress. It all comes together on senior projects night when they submit a report to a panel of judges and make a formal presentation of what they learned and accomplished.

A number of projects had deeply pragmatic value. Megan Morse, who wants to be an architect, learned how to design an efficient Vermont home, as did Margaret Eddy who concentrated more on the building process. Emmy Poland, interested in a career in business administration, wrestled with all the ins and outs of budgeting, and Chelsie Brown, with an eye on a veterinary career, learned about what is entailed in being a doctor of veterinary medicine.

Joe Kill’s project "From Tree to Chest," involved the whole process of carpentry from logging the raw material, to milling, drying, planing, joining, shaping, hinging and varnishing. He is donating the end product, a cedar-lined chest, to the Whitcomb boosters for auctioning at half time at an upcoming basketball game. Nathan Tipton’s project illustrated that even the mundane can become fascinating; he constructed a motorized gutter cleaner!

Other projects were of a more delicate nature. Maya Robinson, who has published a number of photos in The Herald, displayed numerous items from her vast photo record that documents her recent experience as an exchange student in India. Ryan Best’s project was learning how to sew, and appreciating the complexities and subtleties of this ancient and practical art. Michael Ennis learned how to record problems in the human brain through the use of EEG technology.

Also in the medical field, Scott Killian studied foot reflexology which uses the connections between the nerves in one’s feet to other parts of the nervous system elsewhere in the body. A related project was one by Tracy Zisselberger, who followed a therapist in her work and learned about a career of physical and occupational therapy, which she now intends to pursue.

Justin Rogler worked as a volunteer on an election campaign, took notes, and developed insights to our political process. Kerstin Kraeutlein discussed her home country (Germany) and provided a systematic report on her experience as an exchange student here.

Noiseaux extolled the senior projects program for the experience it gives students in time-management, the interplay of ideas, pragmatic achievement, the use of visual aids, and organizing their thoughts.

Principal Andy West said he was "very impressed by the variety of projects and their potential connection to future endeavors of the students."

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