Students unveil senior projects

SANDPOINT — The pressure was on for Sandpoint High School seniors Thursday.

While senior projects were, in previous years, set up in the gym and presented one-on-one to anyone interested, this year the students were required to present to their Connections groups.

"These presentations will help create stronger connections because the seniors are presenting to their group that they just started getting to know, so it helps build those healthy relationships," said SHS counselor Cindy Albertson.

In English teacher Lisa Barton's classroom, five seniors presented on topics of which they both were knowledgeable and excited about.

"We wanted them to find a topic they were passionate about, maybe related to a career, so a lot of times finding a topic was fairly easy — the research part is the hardest part of that," said SHS English teacher Sarah Miles. "I think most of the students would agree the research was the hardest part, but also very satisfying for them to see the different viewpoints on their topic."

Jer Voelz presented on the topic of military presence in Afghanistan because he plans to go into the military after high school. His argument centered around the United States keeping the military in Afghanistan, in part, because the Afghanistan and Iraqi military "still need our help and are still asking for it."

Sedona Dills, who plans to be a nurse, spoke about induction. She explained that induction is the use of medication to artificially stimulate contractions. When a woman is induced into labor, it can cause the baby to be underdeveloped or have a slow heart rate, she said, and the baby could go into distress if the medication doesn't work properly.

Avery Brown's topic was on why renewable energy is better than fossil fuels because he "cares deeply" about the condition of the planet and believes it is time to make a change. Some renewable energy sources are solar and wind energy.

"This switch would positively influence everything, such as slowing down rising sea levels," he said.

As she plans to enter the cosmetic field, either as a makeup artist or producing her own line of cosmetics, Adeola Ogbeide provided evidence showing why cosmetic companies and their customers should use "cruelty free cosmetics." Ogbeide said many companies are not forthcoming about unethical use of animals as test subjects. The opposing viewpoint, she said, is that testing on animals is "for the greater good" as far as human safety. Ogbeide said that viewpoint was relevant in the 1980s into the 1990s before companies realized they can create products without testing on animals. 

The final presenter in the group was Nick Stangel, whose interest in motocross was apparent with his presentation, "2 Stroke vs 4 Stroke." He said evidence shows that 2-stroke doesn't produce as much horsepower, but depending on the rider's style, it could be just as fast. The 4-stroke, though, produces cleaner fuel, less need for braking and the clutch lasts longer, he said. Stangel plans to become a dirt bike and motorcycle mechanic, and with the 2-stroke phasing out, he said it doesn't make sense to learn how to work on it and plans to focus more on the 4-stroke.

While the most popular question following any of the presentations was "who is your English teacher?" — a required line on the evaluation sheets for each presenter — the students in the audience were engaged with the presenters and did ask questions on occasion about most of the topics.

"We had a great range of topics this year," said Miles, who teaches four of the five students who presented in Barton's classroom. "I was really proud of the students for the topics they came up with and all their hard work. It is so satisfying for me to have them complete this and to see the work they put in and have them share that knowledge ... I love it."

As per state requirement, seniors began their projects by writing an argumentative research paper. They then took some of the most important components from their papers to and create their presentations.

"We feel as a staff that it is vital for all kids to come out of high school knowing how to write an argumentative paper," Albertson said, adding that it is important for educated people to be able to support their opinions rather than just stating their opinion or viewpoint without research to back it up.

As the name suggests, Connections allows students to connect with fellow students and talk about any issues or questions they might have, from school academics to personal thoughts and concerns.

Connections started this year at SHS, held once a month after second period, and all students are required to attend. A class of about 50 peer mentors completed a training program in September, and each leads a group of 18-20 students along with a teacher or certified staff member. The groups were randomly selected and include students of all grade-levels.  While the seniors will graduate, juniors, sophomores and freshman will stay in the same groups each year in order to grow and retain support as they progress through high school.

Connections is centered around the Idaho Department of Education's Sources of Strength program. A nationally recognized suicide prevention program, Sources of Strength consists of eight categories, or "strengths," including family support, mental health, positive friends, medical access, spirituality, generosity, healthy activity and mentors.

Albertson said the students have so far covered two of the Sources of Strength: mentors, which includes trusted adults, and positive friends. In December, the groups will begin to talk about a combination of mental health and medical access, and then will continue to cover the other Sources of Strength throughout the year.