Spring brings many exciting changes to the Pingree campus: new sports, nice weather, and high spirits. But this time also means the Junior Research Paper (JRP) is upon the class of 2024. The JRP is due next Monday, May 22, at 10:15 am.

Having already written the paper, seniors say that staying on top of deadlines and doing the extra steps allow the process to be smoother and less stressful for the last parts of the year. The process goes over more smoothly if the topic picked is new to the student and one that makes the creative and investigative mind churn. 

“I’m writing about the Lawrence Textile strike in 1912,” said junior Noe Aguilar. “The situation had to do with the city I live in. It’s important because it affected how people were paid, the hours they worked, and the working conditions.” 

Juniors are encouraged to write about something that hits home with them and impacts them day to day. Others such as Hudson Weidman chose something that hit a place of curiosity and something he would like to know more about.  

“I’m writing about the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and how it led to the rise in the Patriot Movement,” said Hudson Weidman, “Originally I wanted to talk about religious cults, but my teacher introduced domestic terror which sounded more interesting to me.”

The process may seem daunting at first, but once there is a topic that strikes your interest, the paper seems more like an exploration instead of a task. The paper’s purpose is to be more of an opportunity to learn more about something of your choosing outside of the regular curriculum. 

The Juniors are nearing the end of their second to last year at Pingree and the passing in of the JRP is a symbol of the completion of the year.