Research paper comes to a close for Senior Project students

Andy Garcia

Crimson Chronicle Reporter

As the year comes to a close, students in the Expository Composition class will have to wrap up their written portion of the senior project. Students are expected to have completed a 10-page research paper on a topic of their choice. Although students have had a whole semester to complete this project, many are just getting started. The senior project can be a tedious task as it tests students’ knowledge on the topic of their choice as well as presenting and public speaking skills in front of judges. 

Dr. Jin Suh Jirn, an English teacher for SAS is currently teaching one of the senior project classes for his third year and has prepared his students since the very beginning of the first semester. After the pandemic students seemed a little nervous about presenting since students missed a whole year of school. Some students may feel shy or anxious about presenting in front of judges. 

“Hopefully students are a little more comfortable with presenting by now. Most of the judges are SAS teachers. Students won’t be presenting in front of a group of strangers. I’m not worried about it because I require students to present in front of other students before they do the real thing.” said Dr. Jirn.

The skills learned in this class will benefit most students in the future as it practices life’s most critical skills. In the upcoming semester, students will start working on their presentation as it’s the last part of their senior project. But what do teachers expect from students to achieve in this class?

 “To feel a sense of accomplishment because the senior project paper and presentation require a lot of time and energy, and those who complete it should feel like they really accomplished something special,” said Dr. Jirn.

Completing this project is a goal for many students as it could open up opportunities for them. Before the senior project started, students had the option of either taking AP English Literature or Expository Composition. Many students chose to take AP Literature as it avoids presenting as it can be daunting.

“I really only took AP Lit to avoid presenting for the senior project, since presenting isn’t exactly my strong suit. The class itself is okay, although the work can be a lot sometimes.” said Jimena Carballo, an SAS senior who takes AP Literature. 

With the new semester, students will start on their presentations, and here are some tips from Dr. Jirn himself:

  • “Practice in front of the mirror and do some visual practices”
  • “The more your brain thinks you’ve done it the more comfortable you will be”
  • “With the paper, students will have a better understanding of their topic”

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