At 3 o’clock in the afternoon Thursday, Anzar High School’s
campus was peppered with teenagers dressed in collared shirts and
ties, blouses and skirts or dress pants. They sat on top of picnic
tables hugging their knees, sprawled across concrete steps and
paced nervously in circles. This is what Junior Kathryn Hipol
calls
”
The Exhibition Air.
”
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon Thursday, Anzar High School’s campus was peppered with teenagers dressed in collared shirts and ties, blouses and skirts or dress pants. They sat on top of picnic tables hugging their knees, sprawled across concrete steps and paced nervously in circles. This is what Junior Kathryn Hipol calls “The Exhibition Air.”
“Sometimes you’ll run into somebody and they’ll give you this crazy glare, and then you have to remember, ‘Oh, it’s exhibitions today,'” she said.
This week marked the beginning of an Anzar tradition that distinguishes it from other high schools in the area: the graduation exhibition. For nine years Anzar educators have used these projects as a way to challenge students to prove to a panel of judges exactly what they’ve gotten out of 12 years of public education, as well as to connect students with topics and issues they can get passionate about.
“I’m lucky because I found something I was really interested in,” Hipol said, looking a little shaky after presenting her first-ever exhibition. “That makes it more interesting, even if it isn’t very easy.”
Exhibitions are complex projects designed to integrate several academic disciplines into one broad issue the student takes a particular interest in. Students cover language arts, science, service learning or volunteer work, social sciences, a post-graduate plan, and math, if the student chooses, in at least one but no more than three exhibitions – most students choose to split up the requirements into two projects. Art, world language and possibly math must be used in at least one exhibition, and each project has a written component, an oral presentation and a question-and-answer session judged by a panel selected from the community.
Hipol’s exhibition was titled “What is the Future of American Musical Theatre? Why is American Musical Theatre Worth Saving?” In a 30-page essay and 15-minute speech, she dissected the history of the modern musical, the effect large commercial interests like Las Vegas and Disney have had on the theater and the constraints that can be placed on the theater in a time of crisis, citing the Great Depression and Sept. 11, 2001, as examples.
“I’ve been in plays since I was little,” she explained. “So once we decided what I was interested in, my coach helped me develop a question I could work into a project.”
All students who enroll in a “graduation exhibition” class have access to a coach to guide them through the process and revise their projects before the big day, as well as precious hours during the school week to work on them. Despite the fact that she had taken the class, Hipol estimated that she had spent between six and 10 hours a week on her exhibition since the year began, and recalled working on essay drafts in the middle of play rehearsals.
“My coach (teacher Amy Boldt) has been a judge before herself, so she had a pretty good idea what the judges were going to ask me,” Hipol said. “I don’t think I could have done it without her.”
Despite the time involved, Hipol said the exhibition process was generally a positive one, and that she believes students at other high schools could benefit from it.
“It was scary, but you really do learn a lot and you gain some confidence for the next time – I know people who are in college already that have said, ‘If you do your exhibition, you’re already able to do your college thesis. It’s the exact same thing,'” she said. “I can see how shy people are at a disadvantage, though. I’ve seen some people burst into tears right before they have to present.”
Hipol’s mother, Ana, said that although she saw the stress Kathryn’s exhibition put her through, she believed the project was a good experience for her daughter.
“As someone in the workforce I know that being able to make presentations in front of a group is a really useful skill,” she said. “And I’m glad they’re teaching students that early.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
