“It’s sad when you see some of these courses go,” guidance counselor Katrina Escobar said. With over 100 courses at M-A, many electives are only offered for a few years due to low enrollment or staffing changes. “It’s more teacher driven, meaning a teacher teaches a certain class, and then when that teacher moves on, somebody else doesn’t pick it up,” Escobar explained. Here are three standout electives that M-A no longer offers.
Russian History and Literature
Among M-A’s most distinctive past electives was Russian History and Literature. The class focused on the 19th Century, often called the Golden Age of Russian Culture. Students read authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy while exploring the dramatic history of the time.
The class was taught by Lisa Otsuka and John Florio, with both individually teaching one semester. Florio handled the history side, while Otsuka taught the literature section. “He would focus on this turbulent time, and then I would teach literature,” Otsuka said.
The class also took a two-week trip to Russia. “A lot of things were centered around having this firsthand experience being in Russia,” Otsuka said. “We took about 20 to 22 students, and we went to all the locations in the novels.”
The class spent one week in Moscow and one week in St. Petersburg. They visited locations mentioned in the novels they read, including the exact 720 steps Raskolonikov climbs at the beginning of Crime and Punishment and the battlefield from War and Peace.
Though the course is no longer offered, it inspired Otsuka to integrate cross-disciplinary elements into her current AP Literature class. “I think there are ways of doing it within the class structure that I have right now,” Otsuka said.
“I think you can always make the learning more meaningful when it connects to a lot of other things,” Otsuka said. “It’s always important to be open to new electives and things that could be exciting.”
Keyboarding
Keyboarding was a semester-long class designed to build essential typing skills. Taught by Mannueal Delgado, the course helped students improve speed and accuracy through daily drills and repetitive practice.
Despite its simplicity, the course made a real impact on students. “It was one of the electives that benefited a lot of people,” Delgado said.
Students began each class with structured typing programs and were tested under time conditions. “Every student was different in speed,” Delgado explained.
This elective also helped students become more confident in their typing skills and prepare for college and exams that involve typing. “Everybody seemed to grow, and I think towards the end of the semester, they realized that they had learned something that they were going to be able to take with them,” Delgado said. “A lot of people look down upon it, but it’s something that’s very useful, especially when you get to college.”
As keyboarding skills were increasingly taught at younger ages and technology use became more widespread, interest in the course declined, and it was eventually discontinued.
Debate
Once a thriving elective, the Debate class allowed students to explore controversial topics like environmental policy and political theory, often preparing for and competing in tournaments against other schools. Despite consistent student interest, the class was discontinued when teacher John McBlair* needed to teach both AP Language and Journalism.
Now, Debate is making a comeback next year under the leadership of Economics teacher Jack Neumier. “What excites me is what I have done most of my life, which is to grow, or usually start and then grow in a community or an organization,” Neumier said.
The class will be available as a 7th period elective and will have a light homework load. “There will be around 35 freshmen taking the class as a seventh period. I’m not going to give them more homework, but I do expect them to be fully engaged,” Neumier explained.
The course structure will include lectures, group activities, and skill drills on Mondays and Tuesdays. Block days will be dedicated to practice debates, while Friday’s will feature reflective rounds.
The class will cover various topics like economics, culture, and international relations. “We’re going to go through specific historical examples. We’re learning history the whole time, and through that, we will investigate the largest and most important topics in philosophy,” Neumeier said.
Debate also builds lifelong skills like critical thinking, public speaking, and world knowledge. “You’ll learn to advocate for sides you don’t believe in, not because you want to, but because that’s what you’re tasked with doing, which is good for you,” Neumeier said. “It forces you to interrogate your own beliefs.”
“If you’re serious about becoming a good debater and you want to be part of the team, then you should take the class,” Neumeier said.
*John McBlair is the current advisor of The M-A Chronicle
