Senior exhibition time is drawing closer at Lisbon High School. As is the stress and frustration released by some of the seniors as they prepare their presentations. In order to fulfill requirements needed to graduate, each member of the class of 2008 has picked a topic and will have spent 15 hours with a mentor who specializes in the students’ chosen subject. With the end of their high school careers just around the corner, many seniors are anxious to present their projects to a panel of judges, which is comprised of local people, as well as those from across the state.

This year, senior exhibitions will be held on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21 at the Lisbon High School Campus. Members of the junior class will be in the audience during the 15-minute presentations, as they can look forward to creating their own projects, a short year away. Seniors who do not receive a high enough grade by the judges on their presentation are then given another chance to present, as the marks they receive play a role in determining their ability to graduate this spring.

Some students openly express their dislike for senior exhibitions, but there are those who can see the upside. Stephen Norwood, one of the seniors at Lisbon High School, shares his story of the project as a “positive experience.” His topic is meteorology. His mentor is Kevin Mannix, meteorologist at WCSH Channel 6 News Station in Portland. Stephen describes this field as one that is “difficult to enter.” Stephen shared that he found his time spent with Mannix to be “both fun and informational.” The feeling was mutual with his mentor. Mannix expressed his thoughts about the experience with mentor coordinator, Monica Millhime. “Stephen was an eager learner who showed up on time, asked questions and kept me up to date with e-mails. I enjoyed working with him a lot and wish him the best,” commented Mannix.

Stephen says “It’s good to learn new things. Many students don’t like the fact you have to do a Senior Exhibition project but you need to in order to graduate. It’s a good learning experience.” As for advice for his fellow seniors, Stephen offers, “People should meet the specific requirements because if they meet those dates, they’re all set.” Stephen Norwood has been accepted in the fall program of building construction offered at Central Maine Community College. His experience studying meteorology for his senior exhibition project will serve him well in this field.