LilyBiggs

As a freshman and sophomore at Marian, you don’t have too many choices when it comes to electives. However, once you become an upperclassman, you have a lot more freedom when it comes to your schedule. This can lead to you taking some electives that you’re interested in that you may not have been able to be a part of due to the large amount of required classes for the underclassmen.
Electives can still be academically challenging, like the variety of AP classes that Marian classes offer, but some offer some more fun and a break in a harder class day. However, since these classes aren’t required, class numbers can sometimes be low. This leads to Marian potentially scrapping the class altogether if not enough students are interested in it.
A great example of this is the late class “Harry Potter, Philosophy, and Feminism: Finding Being Through Popular Literature, Philosophical Perspectives and Foundational Readings.” According to the student curriculum handbook, the class with the long title used events and readings from Harry Potter to answer philosophical questions like what is the power of feminism, what are the destructive elements of evil, and more. The class relied on critical thinking and class discussions to allow students to develop their own informed perspectives and beliefs.
“Harry Potter, Philosophy and Feminism was my favorite class at Marian by far,” said alumnae Meredith Bailey, who took the class in fall of 2021. “There were a lot of hard social and political topics we would cover in this class and we were able to express our thoughts without judgment.”

In the 2020-2021 school year, there were two classes of this and each class had 14 students. However, in the 2021-2022 school year, there was one class that had six students in it. This decrease in student enrollment and interest as well as the retirement of Mr. Tom Baker, a former teacher who taught the class, possibly contributed to it not being renewed in the 2022-2023 school year.
According to Bailey, “Mr. Baker not only taught us well, he also allowed an open dialogue in class that made everyone comfortable to express differing opinions.”
Harry Potter and Feminism isn’t the only elective that died out. Marian used to offer a Latin course by Mr. Mark Koesters. Tammy Biggs, an alumna of the Class of ‘87, recalls a class that exclusively covered Shakespeare plays.
However, it is possible for classes to be revived. A great example of this is Handbells I, which is being brought back next year after not being offered in the 2023-2024 school year because no one had signed up for it.
With classes ending come new possibilities, however. Since the end of these classes offers room for new potential ones, many new classes have taken the place of the classes that have become all but forgotten.
Great examples of new classes in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year are Academic Decathlon, Environmental Biology, AP African American Studies, Christian Leadership in Action, a Broadcasting sequence and another level to Journalism.
It will always be bittersweet to see a class slowly disappear, though. According to the Network Survey of 160 responses, 61% of Marian girls haven’t heard of the Harry Potter Philosophy and Feminism class, but 36% would take it if it were offered today.
The process to add a class is complicated. Proposals by faculty go through many stages. Department chairs and administrators consider implications to existing classes and overall student interests. Classes must meet a minimum enrollment and fit into the overall schedule and plan of providing a college preparatory education for young women. If you have ideas for future classes, talk to your teachers and counselors.
As the end of this school year approaches, it is interesting to take a look back at what classes Marian used to offer. It’s possible that the classes you are taking right now may not interest students in the future. Remember to soak up every moment you have in your favorite classes so if you have a potential Marian girl in the future, you too can reminisce about what Marian used to offer and what classes it will have in the future.