At Coral Gables Senior High School, many new teachers and courses arise every year, as the Cavalier community prides itself on having a wide variety of classes for students. On this years subject selection sheet, there was an addition of the culinary and journalism electives. These subjects were among some of the new classes that aim to help students to succeed in the future, offering new skills that can open doors to future careers while also bringing Cavaliers together and creating new passions.
One new class that may spark students’ interests this year is Mr. Michael Flores Interiano’s, Dual-Enrollment, Commercial Food Production course. Mr. Interiano, a graduate of the class of 2007, has returned to share his affection for culinary arts with the current generation of students, who walked the halls where his own culinary journey started.
What makes this particular course valuable to Cavaliers is its dual-enrollment aspect, allowing students to earn both college and high school credits simultaneously. This presents a beneficial opportunity for students venturing into a culinary career, as the class saves them thousands of dollars in college expenses and also fulfills a high school elective requirement.
“I think it makes sense for Gables to expand their body of classes available, since many students have interests outside of the classroom that, in this case, can help them earn college credits. Some students have multiple elective slots, so the diversity in classes can help them learn new topics they did not know they liked before,” junior Lucia Astorga said.
In this gastronomic elective, students will learn a wide range of cooking techniques and essential kitchen skills such as how to hold a knife, sauté, communicate and work as a team in the kitchen. A typical day will group students into teams, assign them responsibilities and cook. After the lab, students will give a reflection on how they did with their food and where they can make improvements.
The second new elective class added to Gables’ curriculum is Journalism, taught by Ms. Passwaters. The new elective is available to all grade levels and academies who look for gaining the skills necessary for future journalism careers, mastering writing style and grammar. In this course, Ms. Passwaters teaches her students how to create news articles, catch readers’ attentions, develop strong interviewing skills and learn digital literacy. With this class, Ms. Passwaters hopes to provide essential skills for students who may want to join journalism programs or publications like CavsConnect, Gables Live, Yearbook, Catharsis and highlights.
“I really enjoy my journalism class. It’s a simple class and teaches us a lot of abilities needed for journalism. We recently got to venture outside of the classroom and take pictures around the school as one of our assignments,” freshman Ronald Areas said.
In addition to the practical benefits, the new electives work to provide a place for students to make new friends and build a sense of community. Working in groups, whether in the kitchen or newsroom, students practice teamwork and collaboration that can be carried to other aspects of their academic life. These types of courses and experiences, along with their instructors, hope to create lifelong memories for students, as Cavaliers can bond over similar passions and spark new interests in themselves.
“These new classes honestly teach us a lot. I’m glad they got added to Gables’s list of classes, because not only are they fun, but they build student’s skills for the future and give us the opportunity to gain lots of new friends,” freshman Daniella Chang said.
