New Elective is Out of This World

Art. Gym. Psychology. Talawanda offers elective courses for almost any interest. The thing that a lot of students don’t know is that there’s a new option for them – Topical Literature.

Just last year the Talawanda English Department unveiled a new course option for students to take called Topical Literature.

“We have excellent elective options, but none of them focus on reading or literature. Kids like options,” said Kalinde Webb, junior English teacher and creator of the course.

Webb suggested that the course be offered as an elective, with a topic that changes each year. “Literature doesn’t have to be boring,” Webb said. “There’s something out there for everyone, and I hope that students see that.”

Webb also taught last year’s Topical Lit class, which focused on sports writing.

This year, it’s Sci-Fi, taught by Dr. Amanda Weatherwax. “I love Sci-Fi,” said Weatherwax. “It’s one of my favorite genres, especially movies.”

Students in the class read a number of books from the science-fiction genre, and do a variety of activities to follow up, including class discussions, writing stories, and studying movies.

Weatherwax added that, aside from simply learning, the class provides an opportunity to bond with students that share similar interests. “It’s a great place for kids to get together and talk about common interests,” she said.

The class has already gotten great feedback from its students.

“I joined it because it sounded like a fun course, and we do a lot of fun things” said senior Haylee Blevins.

“I love Dr. Who, and I heard we were going to talk about it,” said senior Elise LaFever. “We get to read awesome books and write our own stories, it’s a lot of fun.”

Students also enjoy being around others who share the same interests as them, which changes the classroom’s dynamic compared to a traditional classroom.

It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and we can all pretty much talk freely,” said junior Drake McAllister.

The course will be offered again next semester, and interested students should talk to their counselors to sign up for the course.