This week, Media Office has compiled a list of the top electives that students continuously sign up for year after year. Check out our list below:

10. Weightlifting: A popular choice for many high school students, weightlifting is a class that introduces students to the basic principles of – you guessed it – lifting weights. Even though it is only a trimester course, students continuously sign up for it year after year. Junior Jacob Hunter, who has taken the class for the past two years, describes the class by saying “We just lift weights.”

9. Public Speaking: Even though this is a required course at RMA, the various teachers who teach this class keep it fun and interesting throughout the trimester. Students will be able to gain knowledge for all types of speeches that they may one day have to present in their time both in college and beyond. Such speeches that the students could present to the class include informative, persuasive, how-to, and debate. However, if you do not feel like taking this course, then just sign up for a part in the school play to fulfill your public speaking requirement.

8. Government and Politics: In this AP course taught by Mr. Stone, students learn about the various branches and levels of government, debate different political topics, and watch informative news shows. Many students love this class as they are able to learn about topics that are going on in the world around them with one of their favorite teachers! This class is both interesting to sit in on and is beneficial towards receiving college credits. It also helps students develop their own political voice.

7. North Carolina Natural History: This course is all about the plants and animals in our home state of North Carolina. Many students like signing up for this class because they feel it to be useful as it focuses on identifying the various species of plants and animals that surround them every day. Students come out of the class with a new appreciation for this great state that we live in. Dr. Wells, the NC Natural History teacher, tells us that he “loves teaching this class because most people undervalue how incredible the ecological diversity of NC is. People living in Nebraska can’t visit the ocean and the mountains without leaving their home state. We can see both in a single day.”

6. Music Performance: A class for those who are musically gifted and those who wish to learn more about singing and playing instruments, Music Performance is a class that students love to take year after year. This year, RMA welcomed Mr. Leonard as the new music instructor and it seems that many students are fans of his cool approach to teaching in the music department. “Music Performance gives me a way to express myself” said Senior Katy Jaber who has been in Music Performance for the past two years.

5. Yearbook: Who wouldn’t love to create and collaborate to form the coveted RMA yearbook? It is a tradition to receive the yearbooks on Field Day and is most people’s favorite part of the day. Students love to be able to see photos of them and their classmates, and don’t forget about all the signatures in the front and back. The Yearbook Staff, consisting of an editor, a business manager, photographers, and other staff members, work tirelessly to put together the annual and every year they prove to be worth the wait.

4. Psychology: An AP class that intrigues and interests many upper school students, Psychology also taught by Mr. Stone, is a course in which students prepare for the AP exam at the end of the year while also learning about topics such as memory, cognitive development, learning habits, and personalities. At the end of the year if students opt to take the Advanced Placement exam and pass, they may receive college credits for the class. This course is a popular option among many students and senior Catherine Coats says that she “loves AP Psych and her favorite teacher is Mr. Stone!”

3. SAT Prep: Not much of a fun class but very practical, SAT Prep is offered to RMA students to prepare them for the SAT, which most students wanting to attend college after high school are required to take. It is a great class for RMA to offer as many other schools do not and those students often have to find outside tutoring for the SAT. It placed pretty high on the list because while it is not the most enjoyable class to take, it is the most useful, which is why students constantly sign up for this course.

2. Ceramics/ Digital Photography: Ceramics and Digital Photography are both trimester courses, but they are paired on this list because most students choose to take them together. If students decides choose this option, their first trimester will be Ceramics I, followed by Ceramics II, and then digital photography. Many people see this class as an opportunity to learn a neat skill and show off some of their artistic side. However, it is okay if you are thinking about taking this class and have no prior knowledge of clay or photography. Mrs. Patton is a great teacher and there is room for everyone! I can tell personally from experience that both of these classes are great for stress relief and so much fun!

1. American Culture: A new addition to electives that are offered, American Culture is taught by none other than RMA’s Mr. Stone. The idea of American Culture came from a conversation last year when Mr. Stone’s AP US History’s class had no idea who Marlon Brando was. (He is the actor famous for his roles in The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Apocalypse Now.) Mr. Stone began to elaborate throughout the rest of the year on ideas for the class and thought that it would be a great addition to RMA. In the course, students learn about each of the decades that truly embody the culture of America starting with the 1940s and ending with the 1990s. The class is structured on viewing various classic American films, listening to music popular to that decade, and talking about cultural events that occurred in each of the time periods. Currently the students are learning about the 1960s and have so far watched films such as Casablanca, Rear Window, Grease, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and West Side Story. With all of the exciting things to learn about in this class and Mr. Stone’s teaching, it is no wonder that it made it to the top of the list!