What classes should I pick for next year?

With class selection time here, it can be difficult to figure out what classes you might like. This can be especially true when class names aren’t particularly informative; like, what on earth happens in Strength and Conditioning? Since choosing the right electives for you is vital to your high school experience, here are a few classes my friends and I have taken that we think you should know more about.

Strength and Conditioning, also known as Weights class, lets kids be active during the school day and teaches them how to exercise in ways that are sustainable in the long term. Although it’s most known for being the class where you can lift weights, according to 11th grader Ilan Tracton, “It’s more about learning how to keep yourself in shape when you’re not in school anymore… you’re responsible for your own workouts and you’ll know how to be self-sufficient.”

Theatre Company, taught by Ms. Hoffen, is a class where “We go over acting skills and things that can help improve your acting, and in her technical theater class, we go over more of the technical elements like, how to use drills, set design, lights, sound, et cetera, ” Sophomore Sam Abbate explained. With multiple theater-related classes like Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Theatre Arts, essentially every aspect of theater is covered. For Abbate, “it’s just that I get to express that part of myself, and for the technical aspects, I just like being a part of the backstage process of building the plays and musicals we do.”

On the topic of music-related classes, Guitar 1-2 starts with the basics of both music and the instrument itself. When I took it, we learned how to read tabs and spent a lot of time practicing. But, we also spent some time learning about famous musicians. Senior Addison Lavanish, who is in an upper-level guitar class, mentioned “We each get equal opportunities to do solos and improvise and everything like that. We also get to play a lot of the songs that we really like, especially this year… We played a lot of songs that we all really really love.”

The business classes here at OM, most known for Advanced Business Management’s Rise and Grind Coffee shop, are classes that focus on teaching you various real-world business-related skills. Principles of Business explores the foundational concepts in the business world and has the option of taking it for college credit. For upperclassmen, there are Principles of Marketing and Principles of Accounting. Principles of Marketing focuses on learning about the strategy behind promoting a business and honing public speaking skills. Principles of Accounting focuses on financial literacy, how to manage money, and how to use that managed money to invest in stocks. Mr. Cutler, our Business teacher here at OM, added that “the general skills that could apply to any business, I think are the biggest things that kids get from my classes.”

The Video Production class here at OM, which just premiered the pilot episode of OMTV in November, is all about storytelling and making videos. While the bulk of the class consists of planning, filming, and editing video segments for OMTV, there are also lessons on blocking, cinematography, and storytelling. Due to the nature of the class, a lot of learning and skill development comes from trying things and learning as you go. While there is much to be learned from traditional lessons, there’s no better teacher than experience.

Art 1 CC is a fast-paced class that teaches you a wide variety of art-related skills and techniques within multiple mediums. Ms. Bräm, one of the art teachers here at OM, stressed that, “Art 1 serves as a crucial foundation by introducing students to the basic principles and skills of visual art, fostering creativity and personal expression. It provides a well-rounded experience that benefits students, whether they pursue a career in the arts or simply want to enhance their artistic literacy.” I can personally attest to that. As someone who enjoys making art, these are lessons I still use today. For me, getting to make clay sculptures and linoleum prints like this were my favorite parts of the class.

With Art 1 as a prerequisite, Photo 1 essentially picks up where Art 1 left off when it comes to art theory. This background of information is then used as the basis for learning about photo composition. Photo 1 mainly focuses on film photography, teaching you how to operate a manual film camera, how to develop film, and how to make prints of film photos in the darkroom. In AP Photo 2-3, the class is a bit more individualized. While you continue to learn new camera and photo editing techniques, if you are signed up for the AP test, you will have a Sustained Investigation. This Sustained Investigation is essentially a specific topic you focus on and create a cohesive portfolio around while using techniques learned from the class.

Journalism, which primarily focuses on releasing The Scroll, is an English elective notable for its creative writing opportunities and student leadership. Aside from covering the new staff members here at OM each year, there aren’t many strict guidelines on what articles need to cover. While some students cover their opinions about The McRib, some cover more serious current events, and both have a place in the newspaper. The Scroll is released roughly five times per year and to do so (in addition to writing articles or making puzzles for the paper) some focus is placed on student-led fundraisers. For example, the Journalism dress drive we’ve had for the past two years was entirely planned and coordinated by a student staff member of The Scroll. Other English electives include Yearbook, Advanced Composition, and African American Literature.  When it comes to what elective I’d recommend, as a Journalism 3 student, I’m (definitely biased but) certainly partial to Journalism. However, when it comes to what elective would be best for you, it depends on what you personally enjoy and what you would be looking for in a class. The best electives are ones that you can find enriching and are spaces that can serve as a relaxing break in an otherwise busy day.