There’s a plethora of classes to take at SLOHS. Illustration courtesy of freshman Kaila Foley.
San Luis Obispo High School seniors have almost been through four full years of high school (if they include zoom classes) and have gone through amazing classes that they love and have unforgettable memories from. On the other hand, there are some classes that seniors despise and wish they would never have taken.
Of these vast array of classes that students can take at SLOHS, there are a few classes which really shine through the rest, some of which you may never have heard of.
“Taking Astronomy with [Ryan] Ritchie was fun because I learned about a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t otherwise, because it’s not common knowledge,” said senior Micah Caffee.
Electives are a big part of what makes high school fun. The ability to choose to take classes that interest students the most, and to be given the opportunity to possibly finish a pathway which gives graduates an advantage in the future for whatever they choose to do is amazing.
Many students don’t know what they want to do when they grow up and electives are a way for students to try out different classes to see what they find interesting or what they should avoid in the future.
“I’ve liked taking Psychology and Sociology, because they are really interactive with your other classmates and they’re not just lectures. Plus, [the teachers] really let the students run the class, which is kind of nice,” said senior Collin Bartlett.
Teachers are a huge part of what makes a class good or bad, and SLOHS is lucky to have an amazing array of teachers. Students are able to make connections with the teachers and really grow to love a class just based on who is leading it.
“[The teachers] just really want you to do something creative, which is really fun because you can just make whatever you want. I always find myself doing and making creative things out of class,” said senior Rachelle Cardenas.
Many teachers absolutely love what they teach, such as Digital Media teacher Zachary Roper and Ceramics teacher Tawnee Houle. They are able to impart that love of their subject onto the students who then are able to genuinely enjoy high school, which isn’t often something that students do.
“I think that teachers either make or break a class. In any subject, no matter how much you enjoy the subject, if you have a really bad teacher, then you’re not really going to enjoy the class and vice versa,” said Caffee.
Some of the best teachers at SLOHS who make class really fun (in no particular order) are; English teacher Sholeh Prochello, English/Performing Arts teacher Noelle Eben, Math teacher Kyle Fintel, Math teacher Blake Bristol, Economics teacher Greg Ross, Ceramics teacher Tawnee Houle, Digital Media teacher Zachary Roper, Athletic Director Kennedy Meaney, and most recently, Newspaper Adviser Scott Nairne (but he says that’s not true).
Though not every class is beneficial to adult life, there are some that are definitely important. Economics, though not often spoken about, has a lot of crucial and applicable information that is useful in later life.
Now everyone is different, especially in high school where people are still becoming who they are gonna be for the rest of their lives, and so some students may like something that others don’t, and that’s okay. This means students should go out and try classes that may or may not peak their interests, they’ll never know if they like it or not without trying it.
