The freedom of summer has come to an end, and the busyness of school, extracurricular activities, and social events has returned. Many WS students don’t look forward to the beginning of school, but some have optimism, finding excitement in their elective classes.
Students choose electives either to take a break from their academic classes or to focus on a particular subject they may want to pursue as a career.
Sports Marketing is one class that students look forward to taking this year. In this class, Deborah Martin teaches about the advertising industry, and an aspect of this class that draws students to enroll is the career-oriented field trips.
“We get to take a field trip to a Wizards and Nationals game and meet with the marketers to learn how they advertise the sport,” said junior Paige Vasser.
Giving Sports Marketing students the chance to speak with professional advertisers gives them insight into helping them further understand the industry. It is also great exposure to the world of marketing for WS students.
A class that tends to fill up very quickly that students are excited about taking is Dorothea Swagger’s Photography 1 class. This teaches about the process behind capturing a moment with a camera.
“I am excited about taking this class because I like having a hands on learning experience and being creative,” said freshman Kenny Morrow.
Photography 1 gives students an opportunity to take a break from the mentally and physically draining components of school. It allows them to be creative and learn about the work of professional photographers while being able to move around instead of staying seated.
Sports Medicine, taught by Denise Cunningham, is another class WS students look forward to taking that focuses on the work of an athletic trainer through teaching students about anatomy. This course also teaches students how to assess a situation if someone was seriously injured and how to help them recover.
“I’m interested in being a physical therapist and taking this class will teach me the relevance this has to my future career,” said sophomore Kabryni Bruening.
Though Sports Medicine focuses on the practice of becoming an athletic trainer, it appeals to all students who are interested in having a career in the medical field.
As stressful as school can be, electives are a well deserved rest from the strenuous work of school.
“I like how my electives allow me to work on my own, and they’re a break from learning in core classes,” said Vasser.