Emilie Driscoll
Could a recording studio or a lab for scientific innovation or even a gardening bed be your new classroom at LHS? This year, students at LHS are stepping into a world of possibilities with an exciting array of new classes.
From Calculus 3 to Advanced Biotech, students have more opportunities to explore their passions than in previous years. Potential farming students are able to get hands-on experience in Intro to Agriculture, and all the students interested in history, writing and languages are able to explore College Writing, Advanced Constitutional Law and ASL 3. Those interested in music can explore Spanish Music Genres and Studio Music Production.
Lots of students are most excited about Ryan Inahara’s newest class, History of Pop Music. In this new class, students are able to study song compositions of different genres and time periods.
“It’s not really pop music, as you would think about it,” said senior Hannah Koh. “It’s more just popular music. What’s most popular at the time.”
From jazz to country, and every genre in between, the students learn about the historical connections and world the music was produced in. They focus on music from the 1920s all the way to the 2000s through lectures, shared listening experiences and independent studies.
“[It] kind of applies to everyone. Everyone listens to music,” said senior Sydney Chavez. “It’s not like a history class where it’s like, maybe you’re interested in it, you don’t have to be and you don’t have to be super knowledgeable either.”
Perhaps one of the most notable additions to the schools’ curriculum is a brand new AP class.
AP African American Studies officially launched worldwide in August 2024. It focuses on the diversity of African American experiences which extend from early African kingdoms to modern times.
“I hope the impact that [AP African American Studies] will have on [students] is for it to increase their desire to learn more,” said teacher Frank Obiesie, who is teaching this new class.
The course covers topics such as the origins of African displacement, enslavement, and resistance of African Americans through the ninth century to present day. The students learn to make connections with Black communities in the U.S to broader African displacement in the past and present.
With these new classes, students can continue exploring their passions and find new interests. The wide range of courses offered at LHS continue to set it apart from other high schools in the region and encourage holistic learning in the classroom.