You have seen us everywhere: sitting on the couches and tables by Dr. Bohlin’s office, in empty classrooms, down in the senior commons, the cafeteria, courtyard; headphones on, eyes on the computer screen, and fingers clicking away in a steady rhythm. More recently, you see patches of us sport office garb rather than kilts as we give our final presentations. A lack of sleep and overdose on caffeine has left everyone crazy and in emotional states ranging from anger, anxiety and indifference. There is a constant debate between another cup of coffee or a good night sleep.
Despite the strains, there is an important reason behind the project, and the teachers have been supportive and flexible throughout the process. The research and time management skills acquired through the capstone process are effective for college preparations. Although, in the high school experience, we have all written our fair share of research papers, none can compare to the caliber of capstone. A senior said, “The experience of writing a huge paper and presenting will be valuable; no other high school does this. In addition to college prep skills, seniors celebrate their developing expertise through self-selected topics.One student said, “I thought my capstone was black and white, but it is so complex. It made me look at other issues in more depth because their appearance can be deceiving.”
When asked about her thoughts on the capstone, another senior commented: “Everything was good until two weeks ago. It went all downhill there when we started to actually write out outlines and paragraphs. It made everything suddenly very real.” Many other seniors used dramatic statements: “capstone is synonymous with death.” The best reflections on capstone will come when the we’ve all finished the challenge!