Cultural Studies at St. Agnes Academy

Cultural studies students writing down their feelings on the current issues today with the prompt "I feel that..."

St. Agnes Academy offers a variety of enriching electives varying from science topics to technology, and much more. But one that stands out from the crowd, an elective that I am currently embarking on, is called the Cultural Studies Seminar.

This elective is a semester-long course, and includes daily discussions, reflections and a place to learn about the ever-changing world around us.

Some of the topics we discuss are racism, cultural appropriation, intersectionality, feminism and many more. Although we do not all agree on the same things, we make sure to listen to each other and respect our freedom of speech.

Cultural Studies' "Norms," rules that govern the environment for the class. 

 

Part of what makes cultural studies so unique is the environment that it cultivates. Our teacher, Ms. Lydia Smith, is dedicated to providing a safe space to discuss our opinions. In the beginning of the semester we created “Norms,” rules that govern our environment to make sure we each are respectful and comfortable. If a discussion begins to get out of hand, we all make sure to revisit our “Norms.”

This elective really makes my day. After many rigorous classes, it is refreshing to sit down with other students to discuss our opinions as well as listen to other’s ideas. Cultural Studies, although a new elective, is an amazing course and I am excited to see how it evolves over the next couple years.