By: Brenna McDermott 

Cool Classes to Check Out

    We all know the struggle of having to pick out classes and not knowing what to take. Advanced Speech and Performance is always a great choice because you can perform a part of speech and have fun while doing it. The Tartan is also a great choice because you can show off your writing ability.  Video Tech is a great class because you can make videos about yourself. Who wouldn’t like that? As for Natural Disturbances and Human Disasters, if you don’t want to take a long full year science class,this is a great class to take to learn about the different earthquakes and volcanic activity that goes on. 

Advanced Speech:

    Do you like Public Speaking? Do you like being competitive and winning against other schools? Then this is the class for you. You perform speeches that people have created or you can write your own speech. Mrs. Steel, the captain of the speech team, says, ¨It’s a great opportunity for students who want to showcase their speaking or acting skills, but want a lower-scale commitment than Mock Trial or Drama. Most practicing is done during class time (with some after school practice as needed) and our tournaments take up no more than a couple of Saturdays from October through January. Being on the team also looks great on a college or career resume, and it helps students develop the confidence needed to speak in any situation. Lastly, we have fun! When you have to constantly speak in front of others you develop a bond with them; we share our victories and our embarrassments.” You go to competitions which last from 8 in the morning until sometimes 8 at night. You learn to be yourself while having fun in the class. 

The Tartan:

    Love writing short articles? Want to write for the school newspaper? This is the class for you! If you love writing and you like having fun with your writing, then write for The Tartan. As a result, your friends, as well as every other Oak Hills High School student, will get to see what you do in your free time. Put those articles to use and join The Tartan. They are always looking for new staff members that like to have fun and can write the coolest articles. Don’t hold back! Every writer should be able to publish their writing, so why not come to The Tartan try it out. 

Video Tech:

    When looking at the name of the course you might think that it will be boring, but that is far from the truth. People have told me that they have had a lot of fun. This is a great class if you want to be a director or an art major. You get to make videos about yourself which is amazing because you can show people who you are. When you watch trailers for movies you are looking for that trailer to make you want to go and watch that movie. You can revise movie trailers to make them more specific to you or just to make it seem more fun/funny for you. Also, you learn about the technology that goes into producing the movie/short film. Junior Olivia Goodson said that the best part of taking Video Tech was the ending of the class, when “ you got to make your own songs in real life which is a really fun experience.¨ Taking this class provided you with inside knowledge to the behind the scenes of movie making. 

Natural Disturbances and Human Disasters:

    The description for this course is “Natural Disturbances and Human Disasters is a unique survey course aimed at critically analyzing the intersection of earth science and human society to improve students’ global awareness.  This course explores the natural and social science of natural disasters by analyzing their geologic causes, their ecological and social consequences, and the role of human behavior in disaster reduction and mitigation. Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, fires, and extraterrestrial impacts are analyzed and compared.” You learn about the natural disturbances that have happened to people around the world, such as major earthquakes  in the 1900s. You do research projects on topics like the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which really helps you understand the situation better. You see how earthquakes and volcanoes affect the people around them. You learn about super volcanoes and do research projects on them as well. Ms. McAuley, the teacher of the class, said, “ND&HD is interesting because it gives students a chance to explore different types of disasters and understand the complex relationships between geology and humanity.” This class helps you understand what you should do when a natural disaster and you can have fun while learning.