This past year students got new opportunities to try different electives. Mae Ippel and I decided to interview students from different electives to get a little idea of what it’s like. If any of these electives interest you, you should read through the questions and make sure to read part 1 if you haven’t already!
Publications:
Mia Sequeira:
What was your motive for taking this elective?
“I wanted to try something new and I always like to be creative so that seemed like a good option.”
What have you learned so far?
“How much I love Canva AI”
What is your favorite and least favorite part of your elective?
“I love Canva AI and my least favorite part is just some days it’s boring.”
Mrs. Uhl:
What inspired you to teach this elective?
“It was more of they needed somebody and so when the last person left (Tony Thomas), and so they didn’t have anyone for the elective. That following year Ms. Randall, Mrs. Sjoberg, and I decided to do it, so it was more who was going to take this and we all decided to do it together. I had some experience with design, and I was actually a yearbook editor in high school so I thought I might as well try it. So that first year, all three of us did it, then the year after that Mrs. Sjoberg left and I said I could still do it, but I wasn’t that enthusiastic. Most years I usually enjoy it though.”
What is your main goal for your students to achieve?
“To represent the student body in a way that is visually appealing. To really represent each person in the class, not just their (student editors) friends.”
What kind of students would you recommend your elective to?
“Someone who has a good eye for design or photography, or people who have used Canva and not just finding a template but really using their creativity.”
Guitar:
Deznee Estes:
What was your motive for taking this elective?
“Because I started guitar a long time ago and I enjoyed it but I never fully got the hang of it, and I really wanted to further my ability.”
What have you learned so far?
“I learned better strum patterns, and triads, and I learned how to use bar chords and a capo better.”
What is your favorite and least favorite part of your elective?
“My favorite would be learning new songs and getting to practice together. My least favorite would be whenever we are taking notes.”
Samuel Vado:
What was your motive for taking this elective?
“So my mom wouldn’t be mad that I have my guitar lying around.”
What have you learned so far?
“C#m7”
What is your favorite and least favorite part of your elective?
“My favorite is playing the guitar and my least favorite is talking about music theory.”
Mrs Barker:
What inspired you to teach this elective?
“I want to raise up worship leaders. It has been hard to find people who know how to play the guitar, so I decided to teach it to those who were interested! I am happy to say we now have 7 more guitarists on campus!”
What is your main goal for your students to achieve?
“I want students to grow spiritually and musically. I want them to feel confident when they play. I also want them to know that it is okay to make mistakes. It is a delicate balance between encouraging students to get out of their comfort zone, but not pushing them so hard that they are discouraged.”
What kind of students would you recommend your elective to?
“I would recommend this elective to anyone who wants to learn how to play the guitar. It is best for beginner and intermediate guitar players.”
Woodworking:
Judah Starkenburg:
What was your motive for taking this elective?
“Cause I wanted to do woodworking and I wanted to make a table.”
What have you learned so far?
“How to make a table and how to use machines and tools.”
What is your favorite and least favorite part of your elective?
“My least favorite thing is that the teacher is a perfectionist and my favorite is freedom to do whatever I want.”
Mr. Quiroz:
What inspired you to teach this elective?
“The action of leaving a legacy. Let us leave some teaching for what Jesus worked for, which was carpentry, not to be forgotten.”
What is your main goal for your students to achieve?
“That they learn how to work together and know how to treat every living being”
What kind of students would you recommend your elective to?
“Someone who likes crafts, experimenting, and looking for something new to do”
Fitness:
Elijah Kamps:
What was your motive for taking this elective?
“I wanted to be active and hang out with friends.”
What have you learned so far?
“I have learned.. not too much cause I took it last year.”
What is your favorite and least favorite part of your elective?
“Favorite is arm day and least favorite is leg day.”
Mr. Barker:
What inspired you to teach this elective?
“I love fitness and weightlifting so it was natural for me to want to train students in the gym and teach them what I’ve learned about fitness/weights and how to honor God through taking care of our bodies.”
What is your main goal for your students to achieve?
“My main goals for core fitness/weightlifting are for my students to learn the proper technique for lifting weights and all the different ways that you can train and improve your strength and overall fitness. The other goal is to track each person’s overall fitness gains from the beginning to the end of the semester by measuring key lifts/exercises to see improvement. Most don’t realize how far they’ve come until they look back at what they were able to do at the beginning of the semester.”
What kind of students would you recommend your elective to?
“I’d recommend my elective to students who seriously want to get into shape and are willing to push themselves by working out hard for a full semester. The harder they workout the better the results!”
