Students at Rochester have the opportunity to choose which classes they take in addition to the core required academic classes. Most students only get to pick two hours of these elective classes, so many students are forced to make quick and limited decisions about classes that they might not want to take. The point of these elective classes and school as a whole is to prepare students for college and eventually life outside school. Many kids do not know what they want to do after they get out of high school, so they cannot take classes that will benefit them in the long-run. Sophomore Rachel Rettie gives her opinion on a new class that would help students figure this out.

“I think we should have an elective focused on finding interest in a career for kids that are unsure of what they want to do after high school,” Rettie said. “This could involve meeting different people in different fields of work and researching different colleges. Many students are undecided so it’s important to get them planning their future.”

Assistant principal Mr. Pasquale Cusumano wishes he could add a course to help students become more independent people and to teach skills that kids don’t learn in the classroom.

“I’m working on a course proposal called ‘Do It Yourself,” Mr. Cusumano said. “You would learn how to do things for your home like fix a little plumbing leak or something you don’t always want to call someone for.”

He further explains that kids need to have more hands-on experiences that will benefit them later in life.

“I think that would be handy, and it costs a lot of money to call somebody every time to be able to do those little things in a house because you’re gonna live somewhere and you gotta know how to do those things,” Mr. Cusumano said.

Senior Katie Derkcaz offers her opinions on what kinds of classes she would like to see available to Rochester students.

“I think it would be really cool to have an improv class because, yeah, we have theatre classes, but improv is really cool and useful skill to have,” Derkcaz said.

Rochester does have an improv club derived off the theatre program, but many students cannot be a part of it because they simply do not have enough time to attend the after school meetings. Derkcaz thinks it would be beneficial to take student’s opinions into consideration when creating new electives to offer in the district.

“Kids could focus their education more on what they’re looking to go into for a career as opposed to something like some less useful life skill you use in some other elective,” Derkcaz said.

Junior Andrew Smith would also like to see traditionally after school clubs become actual classes offered by the school.

“They should make jazz band an actual class so we don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn before anything moves and stay late into the night,” Smith said.