Senior Art Projects
By CALVIN CHEONG '20
Seniority: an immediate status among all communities, typically earning respect, deference, and envy from younger peers. In terms of high school, the word hardly changes meaning, but instead focuses the definition toward the social hierarchy of youth. Senior year is the concluding chapter, the last hurdle, the final stretch of many a student’s journey at Milton Academy, and it is one that comes a little bittersweet.
Senior projects, a decisive aspect of many seniors’ careers, exemplify the mindset of extended independence accompanied by astounding responsibility. Many students—finally triumphant over academic pursuits—decide to integrate art within their projects. Just as art is a crucial aspect of Milton Academy’s individuality, artsy projects often display a range of unique and interesting fields where students can freely explore their passions.
Although art is often attributed to the stereotypical (though no less remarkable) drawing and painting (aka 2D art), this year’s projects have heralded a plethora of unorthodox subjects, including, but not limited to, pottery, prop design, and clothing design. Challenging but gratifying, these noteworthy pursuits embody the exceptional mentality of this year’s Class I. For over a month, many seniors have dedicated themselves to their projects with zeal as the final presentations loom on the horizon. These seniors have committed themselves entirely, as, in most cases, their projects take the place of academic classes. Over the last few days of the year, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors get to witness firsthand the fruit of the seniors’ labor, and grab a glimpse of what Milton Academy has in store for future generations of students.
Senior projects are truly an opportunity for students to apply their learning and experience their interests. What students see in the final week may foreshadow what each senior has in mind for their future. The significance of this project period often goes unnoticed, and is instead interpreted as merely a chance to devote time and effort into a single endeavor. In a way, projects represent a chance for students to show how they’ve matured: a chance to prove to themselves and to the world that they are prepared for what’s next. On the other hand, senior projects may have been a time for exploration, for supporting the wonderful mindset of trying something new. The latter is undoubtedly the case for many inquisitive seniors, and is nevertheless a worthy objective. After all, curiosity is indeed what human beings draw upon to innovate, invent, and produce, and this trait is evident in the products of the hardworking students.
This week will be the seniors’ last at Milton Academy: a sentence that elicits both proud joy and distinct melancholy. Yet with their departure comes the ushering of a new generation of students into the ranks of Milton Academy, and with it, a multitude of opinions, ideas, and passions that eventually meld into one class personality. Hopefully, this personality will make itself known in four years, when senior projects come around for the class of ‘22. In the meantime, the current juniors have quite the shoes to fill, but I know that they can do it. After all, “dreams and dedication are a powerful combination” (William Longgood), and with them, one can accomplish many things