English Honors students show off work

Morgan City High School English 4 honor students explained the creation of their projects on display today during the Senior Project Showcase held in the multipurpose room.
The Senior Project Showcase is a culmination of 17 weeks of work. Twenty-five students participated in the showcase.
This event showcases the efforts of English 4 honor students who have chosen to take a senior project in addition to their required curriculum. These students are required to write a six-page research paper, complete 20 hours of work towards a product, compile a comprehensive portfolio, and present their projects to the community.
“It was project-based learning to the max,” said Morgan City High School English 4 honors teacher and senior project coordinator Constance Wallace. “Everything they did was on their own.”
“They have to write a six-page minimum research paper, but most kids have 10 pages and over,” Wallace said. “They have to create a portfolio that shows evidence of progress throughout the 17 weeks.
“They’re required to have a product or some kind of knowledge based learning. And if it’s knowledge-based, they have to teach that knowledge to someone else.”
Seth Martin’s project “The Brain and Mood Disorders,” required him to teach an allied health class.
“My motivation for the brain and mood disorders, more specifically the brain, is my mom,” Martin said. “She had a brain hemorrhage on the front right side when she was 7, and that impaired motor function on her left side.
“I was fascinated as to what happened and why the effects that occurred happened.
“As for mood disorders, it’s so common among my age for people to say they’re bipolar or depressed when they’re really not. I just wanted to learn more about it and the brain.”
Students had to find their own mentors and log in over 20 hours of work for the project. In addition, students had to conduct interviews with someone in the field of their product.
Gloria Mayrand, a counselor in Bayou Vista, served as a mentor for Martin. He conducted his interview to learn more about his project with St. Mary Parish Schools System’s psychologist Christina Davis.
“I wanted more hands on experience with depression and bipolar. I can get stuff from the textbooks about the brain but seeing people interact with depression and bipolar that’s first-hand information you can’t get from anywhere else.”
Martin is considering neuroscience or psychology as a field of undergraduate study.
Harleigh Price’s senior project focused on creating a comic book. Price’s idea, Pricestein, stems from the upcoming Christmas due date of her brother and sister-in-law’s child.
“They’re both extremely smart, so I kept teasing them saying your baby is going to be a baby Einstein,” Price said.
“So that’s where my idea of having a too-smart baby running around, trying to get to the cookie jar on top of the kitchen cabinet came from for my comic book.”
His enemy, the family cat, tries to stop Pricestein from getting to the cookies, Price said. The cat thinks Pricestein wants its treats that sit beside the cookie jar.
Price put in over 101 hours into her comic book.
Jason Dinger served as a mentor for Price.
“I chose him as a mentor because he knows the comic process,” Price said. “He obviously created his own comic book.”
She conducted an interview with one of Dinger’s friends based in Florida. He’s a professional comic artist.
“I do think I want to continue with my comic artwork in the future,” she said.
Price wants to major in graphic design at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
Gabrielle LeMaire’s project focused on costume and special effects makeup.
Her teacher, Wallace, encouraged LeMaire to stretch her talents beyond drawing and learn about sculpting and painting.
LeMaire’s model during today’s showcase was her 6-year-old sister, Zoe Makepeace. Zoe sat still for sister while being transformed into a fairy.
On display were demon and half-human zombie special effects designs.
Cosmetologist Lauren Paddie served as LeMaire’s mentor. She taught LeMaire how to apply makeup and blend it for special effects. She gave her the idea of creating scales for her sister’s fairy costume.
“I learned a lot,” said LeMaire. “It taught me how to talk to people, and it was a lot of fun.”
LeMaire interviewed Kathleen Moore, local cosmetologist and owner of Kat’s Studio in Morgan City. Moore was on the makeup team when the production Cats toured in New Orleans.
LeMaire wants to study industrial design at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.
The students will present their projects Wednesday in front of a panel of judges. Winners will be announced then.