The artsy side of Senior Project
Ah, the mysterious Senior Project, the last task on seniors’ to-do lists, a three-week long, pass/fail, independent research experience designed to help the graduating class explore their interests before entering the next stage of their lives. As a senior in the middle of my experiential phase right now, I can’t tell you how amazing it is to do your own thing instead of waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and spending hours in a slew of dry AP classes. Don’t worry underclassmen—you’ll get there eventually.
Although exciting, the idea of senior project is also terrifying. What if I don’t have any interests? What will my essential question be? What am I going to do? Have no fear. There are countless ways to fulfill the requirements while still being creative and having fun. For example, if you’re artistically inclined (or want to become so), center your project on something related to the arts or entertainment. But don’t feel limited—this can be anything from painting, to writing, to photography, to fashion, or even to directing. This year, a variety of LM seniors are working on extremely unique and artistic projects. Let’s get to know some of their
Gus Daly, infamous for his sassy social media, is surprisingly not spending his three weeks tweeting to see how much drama he can stir up. Instead, he is taking a much more academic approach, asking: “How has European art changed throughout history, and how have specific pieces changed the course of history?” With a docent at the Philadelphia Art Museum, he will “go through a timeline of art from the year of 1100 to modern day and connect all the movements of art” and discuss “how certain periods marked a change in history.” For example, Daly passionately explained to me the story of how political cartoons actually originated from 18th century British paintings. But don’t expect him to spend all his days in a stuffy art museum basement—he will instead be traveling to a multitude of galleries, from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to Stormking, a 500-acre sculpture
garden in upstate New York that presents pieces from all over the world. If you want to learn more about European art or just see the Twitter-famous celebrity in person, come to Room 319 on Wednesday, June 3 at 12:15 p.m. to hear Daly present his research.
Fashionista Hana Holquist is going in a very different direction, with an essential question that deals with “how to take an idea from research, to concept, to construction, to final product by exploring the art of drag.” Although you may be taken aback by this idea at first glance, just listen. A common misconception that Holquist refutes is the idea that drag has to be from “male to female.” Instead, it is simply “the transformation from one thing to another, both physically and mentally.” The style that she will be focusing on during her experiential phase is called “non-gender club kid drag,” which is “more conceptual and focused on aesthetics than ‘traditional’ drag.” In addition to designing three looks (including hair and makeup) and researching the history of drag, Holquist will also be “interviewing Philly drag queens and watching performances.” Ask her about her project if you want to learn more about drag!
Julia Christian has chosen to learn a new skill for her senior project. What could be better than hanging out and crocheting with your grandmom all day, working to answer the question: “How is the act of crocheting therapeutic?” After “the stresses of senior year,” Christian can’t wait to calm down through the art of crafting, and she is excited to have a bunch of crocheted hats lying around that she can “just give away for Christmas.” Maybe one day she’ll be good enough to teach someone else the crocheting skills that she is learning through her senior project!
Photo courtesy of Aine Dougherty/Staff
Next up is avid writer Danny Avershal, who is looking to answer the question: “How can I further my writing skills and explore the world of children’s literature by writing my own children’s book?” He wanted to incorporate his love of writing with his creativity, so he decided to author a children’s book “with the illustrative help of [senior] Andrea Barnes.” Although he knows that he wants to continue writing in the future, hopefully Avershal finds out if he wants to go into the exciting world of children’s literature as a career after he completes his unique project. Come to Room 226 at 8 a.m. on June 2 to hear the new Dr. Suess speak about his endeavors.
As for me, you can call me Delicious Dougherty, because I’ll be developing and cooking my own internationally inspired recipes and featuring them on a blog for my senior project. From pad Thai pizza in Thailand to mango lassi cupcakes in India, my posts will hopefully fulfill all of your foodie and cultural cravings—just please don’t show up at my house asking for leftovers. Stop by Room 221 on Friday, June 5 at 9:30 a.m. to join me for an edible adventure (and enjoy some treats along the way).