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Seniors take their topic struggles to library Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman North Medford High senior Dayne Minor finds a quiet spot to do research for his senior project on teen depression. Some 245 students from North and South Medford high schools showed up at the Medford branch of the Jackson County Library Sunday to receive help in preparing their projects. One student turns her experience with cerebral palsy into a study of fine arts and the handicapped By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Her doctor predicted she would never walk, so Jenny Moser was particularly pleased recently when she received a slight injury during a yoga exercise. "My mom was thrilled when I came home with my first sports injury," said the South Medford High senior who has congenital motor control problems with her right arm and leg. "It was kind of symbolic that I could do something hard enough that I would injure myself." Moser, who has had a lifelong struggle with cerebral palsy hemiparesis, was one of 245 seniors from North and South Medford high schools who worked on their senior projects at the Medford Branch Library Sunday. This is one of two Sundays when seniors can get help there from librarians and teachers. The projects are a graduation requirement in which seniors must prepare a research paper and give an oral presentation to a panel of community members. This year's "Senior Sunday" was the biggest turnout ever for the event. A second will take place next Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. "Each year it keeps growing and growing," said Christine Perkins, head of the Medford Teen Library. Some of the students struggled to find a topic for their projects, while others, like Moser, found they could mine their own triumphs. A trombonist who plays in the school marching band, Moser has lately taken up modern dance and yoga. She chose the topic "Adaptive Fine Arts for the Handicapped," with help from her teacher and mentor Deana Chadwell. Moser is studying, for her project, everything from wheelchair dancing to the classical composer Beethoven, who was deaf when he wrote his ninth symphony. While Moser has turned her struggles into a senior project, her peers had their own difficulties. "The hardest thing is to find a topic for which they can find a lot of resources," said South Medford English teacher Mary Wiezcorek. "To find those resources, they have to invest the time." Since Jennifer Sealy couldn't find enough information about fetal alcohol syndrome, the North Medford senior turned to the evolution of photography from black powder flash to today's digital cameras. "This is more interesting," she concluded, carying a stack of books so she could study the subject. But North Medford High senior Katy Juba seemed to have no trouble finding information on the importance of prenatal care. "I really like infants," said Juba, who wants to be a maternity nurse. Many students seemed interested in subjects such as teen depression, teen suicide or anorexia. Others chose more offbeat subjects. South Medford senior Celina Wigle will be doing her project on the beatnik period. "I really enjoy their artistic freedom," she said. "I particularly like the way they offended people." North Medford senior Jona Ashbaugh chose to do his project on the early punk music scene, which was infamous for its offensiveness. This mild-mannered student will focus on punk bands, such as the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and the Clash. "I'm not real big into bubble-gum punk," he said. Despite his taste for punk, Ashbaugh also has an equally strong liking for classical music. "I play the cello," he said. "That's about as far away from punk as you can get." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2002 Mail Tribune, Inc.