Aidan Williams
Staff Writer
This year is almost over! It’s almost summer, and we are all getting ready for a well-deserved break from school. However, we all know that it will come to an end all-too-soon, and we will throw ourselves once more unto the breach. Being prepared for next year should make that transition just a little bit easier, so here are three of the brand-new electives coming to SLA next year.
Philly Power and Politics
Mr. Symonds
Philly Power and Politics, as the name suggests, is a course that focuses on power and politics in Philadelphia. Mr. Symonds described the plan for the class as, “Civics with a very earnest focus on current events and the city around us.”
Placing students between simulated events and interaction with real world politics, the course aims to provide a way for students to engage in the political structure of their surroundings. From political improvement to corporate influence, Mr. Symonds expects students to have a clear idea of where they want to go with the course from month to month.
If you want a class to immerse you in politics and give you the freedom to choose your own direction, this class is for you.
Intersectional Feminism
Ms. Menasion
Ms. Menasion has taught gender studies for two years, and decided that it needed a name change and an update. In the past, feminist movements have been predominantly white. The idea of Intersectional Feminism is that there needs to be more consideration of the overlap of race, class, ethnicity, and other forms of diversity.
“Intersectional Feminism aims to fight oppression in all forms.” Ms. Menasion said. “Ultimately, [changing the name] is just an acknowledgment that feminism is not exclusive.”
Consider this class if you have taken and enjoyed Gender Studies in the past, or if you feel you would like to learn about and become involved in human rights.
20th Century Literature
Ms. Hernandez’s 20th Century Lit course focuses on a strong foundation of Latin-American literature, and exploring the themes of such pieces. While the entire class has not been entirely fleshed out, it would involve a fair amount of reading and discussing different literature from 20th-century Latin America, and the projects would primarily be a recreation of the medium being studied: A modern take on the issues of the time.
“Initially, I wanted the class to be in Spanish,” Ms. Hernandez said. “But, students needed more than Rosetta.”
From plays to poems, if you enjoy reading and exploring writing from other times and cultures, as well as writing, this class has your name on it.
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