The Times, They Are a-Changin’
Boy, school sure has changed since the ancient days when I attended. I remember my high school days in Arizona, and going to classes with such awe-inspiring names as “English 1” and “English 2“, or the classic “Physical Education“. It seemed every year we went to the same exact boring classes, with just progressively harder class work. Now days, well, take a glance at my little brothers 11th grade class schedule:
- Accounting
- Weight Training
- Astronomy
- Yearbook
- Constitution / Bill Of Rights
- Teen Issues
- Advisory
I don’t even have a clue what Advisory might be, and what in the world do they talk about in Teen Issues, the latest quiz being passed around Myspace? OK, I kid, but seriously — the times are changing for sure! I was amazed when I moved from Arizona to Alaska, saw the class listing and noticed we were actually offered choices. Instead of “English 1 and 2″ I was given the option to try out Creative Writing (where you write stories, obviously), or Personal Reading (where you read whatever book you want, and write reports about them).
I almost thought they were lying to me, I couldn’t possibly get credit for such a class, could I? Well apparently I did, since I graduated, but man I sure would have liked to spend the entire four years here instead of just the one. And Weight Training? That is just fantastic. When they tried to get creative in Arizona, they offered Square Dancing as a credit. Seriously, square dancing. They tried to stick me in that class once, when P.E. apparently got full. I told my counselor that I would drop out before I so much as watched a square dancing class. I wasn’t serious of course, but he thought I was, and suddenly they found room for me on the Cross Country Running team. Which was fine by me, I’d rather run miles than square dance. Just sayin’.
