Ahh winter break; two fantastic and lively holidays packed into a two-week period. Christmas gifts, family, great food, maybe a party or two, and most importantly, no school. Sure, there is the occasional homework assignment from a teacher that takes a couple of hours to do; however, seniors at Prep and Villa always get something special to do over break. This special and fun time is composing and finishing their Senior Projects, also known as the “Life Book.”
Throughout the first two quarters of senior theology class, Life Book assignments are given out with specific due dates. These assignments range from picking a Life Book theme to writing the “Coat of Arms Explanation” and many others. However, even with all of these papers and assignments out of the way early, many seniors still underestimate the amount of time the senior project actually takes to compose. The Senior Projects were officially supposed to be due on Friday, Jan. 6. This was done so that students would be encouraged to do their Senior Projects to get it done before school starts again.
Students at Prep and Villa returned to school from break on Tuesday, Jan. 3. When asked when she expected the first few projects to be done, Mrs. Slaby, a senior theology teachers at Prep said “there is usually someone or even a couple people that turn in their projects before break…and a number who turn theirs in before the deadline in January.” However, this year was a little slow. In fact, by Wednesday, Jan. 4, only two Senior Projects had been turned in. Thus, Prep and Villa theology teachers decided to make the Life Books due Monday, Jan. 9. This gave students with a particular talent for procrastination a second chance to make a decent senior project. On Monday, Jan. 9, a few seniors helped carry all of the Senior Projects into Mrs. Slaby’s office. There was a clear sense of relief on all of the students’ faces as they turned in their Life Books. This is a big part of senior year for Prep and Villa students, as the end of their high school experience is now just two quarters away.
Now, with the Senior Projects being turned in for a week, Prep and Villa students have had some time to really look back and reflect on the experience of creating their Senior Projects. When asked what he gained from the experience of creating his Life Book, Prep senior Brian Buseck replied, “I got to reflect on what people and experiences in my life have been the most important to me and gain a greater appreciation for those experiences and people.”
When asked what she gained from composing her Life Book, Villa senior Kayla Kolodychak said, “It was a fun experience to be able to creatively put together images and pieces of my past as well as prepare for my future. I got the chance to almost relive old memories and see how I’ve changed throughout the years.” It is clear that although tedious, the Senior Project is a tradition that truly impacts seniors for the better.