Barstow offers many electives, and it can be overwhelming choosing which ones to take in the upcoming year. Some upperclassmen have some advice to offer about their favorite electives.
“I have only taken like two elective classes, but I will say Acting I and Acting II are the best. The other elective I take is Yearbook, but only because it fills the requirements. So, by default, it is also one of my top three electives.” Chad Luetje (‘22), who has been in numerous Barstow productions, said about his favorites.
The arts electives are a strong contender in the course catalog; many students enjoy them.
“The art courses are the best, but I am biased because I am an art person. The acting elective is really good. It gives you an experience with the stage and a different experience than the show would. The music classes are also good. I am in Barstow Singers but I heard the ensemble elective is good too,” Elizabeth “Lizzie” Boyce (‘23) said.
Specifically, the performing arts electives are popular. Luetje (‘22), Boyce (‘23) and Divya Dendi (‘22) reminisce about how the performing arts were their favorite electives in their Upper School experience.
“Barstow Singers, Game Theory, and American Musical Theatre are fun electives. In Game Theory, it is taught by Mr. Dembinsky and he teaches you different strategies. We just play games the whole class. American Musical Theatre is great, essentially we learn music theatre songs and choreographies and also the history behind some of America’s most famous productions,” Dendi (‘22) discussed.
The STEAM electives are quite popular as well. Barstow also offers a wide variety of STEAM electives. Caroline Fry (‘22) says Painting, Art History, and EDR have been some of her favorites.
“Painting, Art History, and EDR are some of my favorites. I like art history because Mr. Luce is really cool and it is a class where you look at paintings and discuss. No one tells you what to believe. EDR was fun, we did a lot of interesting projects like Battle of the Brains and the KU Engineering Competition. I am not particularly interested in becoming an engineer but it was still a fun class,” Fry (‘22) said
Clearly, Barstow thrives in the arts electives and many students enjoy the art electives Barstow offers. The arts electives go from the fine arts, performing arts, and communicative arts. There is an abundance of them, so if one does not seem appealing, there are so many other options.
There are so many different electives, some more unique than others. Barstow offers a Kansas City-centered elective about the history of Kansas City. It is featured under the additional history coursework section and involves the study of Kansas City’s history along with how it impacted America’s society. It is definitely a unique elective and students should check it out.
If none of these peak your interest, there are still so many others to choose from. Barstow has a wide variety of electives, so there are plenty of choices. Course catalogs will come out over spring break, so students should start looking over the class options.
