With finals fast approaching and the year coming to a close, Seniors have gotten ready to end the year with a climactic finish. The last important factor that decided whether or not they will walk at graduation is the long awaited Senior Project presentations. There is one question, however, that many students have, or may be asking: Is the Senior Project needed?

“I think that a lot of aspects of the senior project, like the community service and the job hours, are really helpful for when you get out into the world,” Senior Alyssa Harroun said.

Senior Layla Ray agreed.

“I think that senior projects are required, because we don’t know what we want to do in life,” she said. “It actually helps us figure out what we want to go to college for and if we actually want to pursue the ‘dream’ that we want to do and find out if it’s actually what we want to do.”

English Teacher Sara Noah explained why she thought they were required.

“There are so many components to it, it’s just for you guys to be thinking about the future and what options are out there for you.” she said. “Hearing what other people do for their projects. I think it’s a good step into the next thing beyond High School.”

Some agreed in a few ways, but weren’t fully sold on the idea.

“Yes and no,” Senior Ally Lang said. “ … [While] it gives us the experience of growing up and figuring out what you want to do, but also it’s a lot of work especially for your senior year.”

Over the course of the year, Seniors have prepared for the dreaded presentations by getting the hours required, researching their topic, and being taught how to make, and use, the items required to become successful in the future. Some students found these helpful.

“Honestly, yes,” Ray said. “For me, they were extremely helpful, because now I know what I want to do in my life. For my senior project, I did 911 Dispatching and doing this, it has pushed me towards knowing what I actually want to do as my future career.”

Asa O’Callaghan said that it depends on the person doing it.

“It depends on how much you enjoy your Senior Project or if you’re doing your Senior Project because you like it or if you’re doing it to get by,” he said. “So it really depends on if it’s valuable to you. It depends on the person doing it and their motivations towards it.”

Harroun believed that it’s better that Seniors has this project as a requirement.

“I think the Senior Project is really helpful,” she said. “For me especially, because I’ve grown more and learned more about myself and about what will happen in the real world.”

Some students did not exactly agree with her.

“I think having the Senior Project is extremely valuable for us,” Senior Jaden Watson said. “However, the amount of stress that it puts on some of us Seniors, I feel, is not worth it. It puts our graduation on the line, and I feel that as Seniors, our last year should be a graceful goodbye.”

Senior Projects are very important to give students a head start on the rushing current that is life. I believe that Senior Projects are very useful for students and while they seem to be tough, the students of Bear River are very lucky to be given the chance to put them on. While they seem to be terrifying and a lot of hard work they aren’t that bad, as long as you get your hours and everything in advance. Next year some things about them will be changing according to Mrs. Noah.

“I’m going to do Senior Projects in conjunction with Carrow because he’s going to pass it off to me for his last year.” she said. “I want to make it a yearly project that happens in English so that you would do more research on the careers instead of just the Pamphlet and maybe have a different outlet for that. So it would be a continual, year long project that you would do in your English class.”

Watson gave some good advice for students that will be taking Senior Projects in the upcoming years.

“Be on top of it.” He said. “Procrastination won’t get you anywhere, especially with the Senior Projects. If you have a good understanding of what you need to accomplish to complete the project at the beginning of year, it will be the easiest thing in the world. Don’t stress.”