The Love of Learning Found in B Hall
Hidden on a whole separate floor on the North side of the building, three staircases keep B Hall connected to the rest of the school. As you walk up the stairs, you enter the lively workplace of the English department.
October 28, 2020
Any classroom you step foot in has posters and quotes taped on the walls. Hundreds of different books are either littered around desks or stacked in organized groups on counters, ready to be given to any student dying to read them. But as these desks were once filled with energetic students anticipating the discussion of the 2 chapters they had for homework, they now lay barren collecting figurative dust and cobwebs, yearning for some sort of attention.
Even though Covid displaced us from the classroom, the English Department will still find a way to meet. With the recent addition of Lenovo ThinkPads to our school supplies, they made an easy transition from discussions in class to simply a channel meeting at home. The students in all classes have the ability to write essays, do RCQ’s, debate, and have fun as they once had in their classes.
The synergy the department has in the building follows them outside in their personal lives, like at Mrs. Eliades’ wedding. When you’re stuck with each other for 8 hours a day, you tend to build a strong bond.
In all classes, ranging from English 10 to College Writing, it’s the social environment that makes these classes special. To sit down and discuss how many of us sadly relate to Holden Caulfield, to get lost on long tangents about marital connections and how your wife can guilt you into murder, and to break down the rhetoric of a letter from George Washington for a whole period: These discussions only happen in B Hall. And that’s what makes English class special.
According to Aaron Zhu, “English class is where I can loosen up and show people what I’m truly thinking through words without the fear of being judged.” And that love of expression is shared by the teachers as well. Ms. Cunningham said “AP Language and Composition has to be my favorite class to teach because the texts we read are my favorite and on top of that, they invite my students to get real in their writing.”
In the end, even with backs against the wall and this year being one of the hardest ones to teach, the English Department as a whole was able to adapt. The teachers fought hard to be able to ensure that all their students get the same quality of education they signed up for, even if that means a heavier workload for teachers. Next time you’re in B Hall, stop by your English teacher’s room and thank them for all the work they have put into your education.
In College Writing, Mr. Soder prepares his students for the college paper writing process enabling the student to excel in their future essays in college.
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