Point of View: It is time to pick classes for the following school year. With all of the various options for electives that are available for junior and senior year, choosing the perfect fit can be overwhelming.

This is a guide to aid in finding the perfect electives for you to take.

Crime Fiction: To Find the Detective Inside You 

• In senior year, Crime Fiction is one of several fun and innovative English classes that are available.
• This elective dives into the art of detective fiction and the authors behind the stories.
• When asked about her favorite elective, Cecilia Nguyen ‘22 said, “That would definitely be Crime Fiction this year.”
• Nguyen described how she loved participating in the murder mystery party at the end of the quarter as the final project for the course.

3D Design II: To Become the Next Best Artist 

• 3D Design II allows students to create art using clay and a wheel, in addition to sculpting with materials such as plaster and paper-mâché.
• This course permits students to be creative and encourages them to take risks while building new skills.
• “I love teaching 3-D Design II because students can spend time exploring unique concepts in their art. They’ve built so many technical skills in 3D I, and it really pays off,” Ms. Elizabeth Hamilton, art teacher and mentor for this elective, said.
• 3-D Design II empowers students to apply concepts to their artwork and enhance their sculpting skills.
• “It was my favorite because it was a lot of hands-on work and it was relaxing and something different than other classes that I’m taking,” Olivia Cook ‘22, said.

Genocide in History: To Spread Awareness 

• Genocide in History addresses multiple genocides that have occurred throughout history. The goal of this elective is to spread awareness of the atrocities that have taken place in the past, so that history does not repeat itself in the future.
• “I hold this class so close to my heart because it is more than just memorizing dates and names. The course is about spreading awareness,” Mrs. Mary Kate Steinmetz, history teacher who developed and teaches this course, said.
•  The elective touches on topics such as the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the Cambodian genocide and aims to educate people on these events.
• “My favorite elective is Genocide in History because I thought it was really interesting learning about all the genocides that occurred because it’s not a class that’s normally taught to students,” Kelly Cleary ‘23 said.

World Religions: And Viewing the World in Different Lights

• World Religions is a senior elective that encompasses traditions and rituals of various religions worldwide, not just Catholicism.
• This course commissions students to engage in dialogue about the rituals of various faiths and to ask questions.
• “I would say one of the most important things is realizing that all religions are internally diverse, so we can’t just make a statement like ‘all Jewish people believe’ or ‘all Catholics do this’ or ‘all Buddhists practice in this way’ …” Mrs. Kate Kennedy, the theology teacher for this elective, said.
• Mrs. Kennedy mentioned that this class only begins to touch upon world religions throughout the world with the hope that students will extend their education beyond the Catholic faith.

Journalism: Diving into a New Style of Writing 

• Journalism is an English elective that encourages students to write for The Campanile or Mount’s television news station, WMSJ.
• Students will be exposed to different types of journalistic writing and integrate elements of multimedia production.
• “You should take Journalism because it’s a really cool style of writing that I don’t think you utilize often in your English classes,” Carolyn Arnold ‘22 said.
• This course urges students to write about topics that interest them as opposed to prompts provided by a teacher.
• “You really have a lot of creative freedom when it comes to Journalism, so you can write articles about sports, or articles about fashion,” Campbell Donovan ‘22 said.
• “Colleges love to see a commitment to the school newspaper, and it’s a great opportunity to gain leadership skills,” Mrs. Michelle Fabrey, adviser to “The Campanile,” said.

Dean of Studies: And Discovering the Inside Scoop

• Mr. Donald Holdren, Dean of Studies, is in charge of creating the rosters for each student.
• Mr. Holdren emphasized that selecting electives relies heavily on what you are passionate about, not solely on what you want to study in college.
• “…I think that when you are trying to make choices about classes for next year, the first thing you need to do is think about who you are as a person and where your interests are and what you get excited about,” Mr. Holdren said.

For additional information, find the Program of Study here.