On Sep 26^th, in the Zhen Tao Building B1 lecture hall, high school freshmen and their teachers gathered once again for academy class: a new course introduced to 9^thgraders. It was the last time students would gather at the lecture hall for academy class to listen to speeches, because after that students would choose their own academy class to go to for that specific Thursday afternoon period. High school teachers were fully prepared to introduce each of the academy courses they are teaching this year. The teachers were incredibly enthusiastic and driven, trying hard to explain how their specific course would help students approach their dreams and survive in the real world. It was obvious that the teachers were hoping to highlight the uniqueness in each of their course to gain students’ attention. Some of the most interesting academy courses introduced include learning to be an insightful film critic, spotting life lessons presented in children’s stories, understanding Korean pop culture, learning to be an eye-catching actor and even simply enjoying films from all cultures throughout the history of cinema! The passion presented in those teachers deeply influenced the students, with them being equally excited about taking the courses as the teachers themselves. Throughout the academy class, students from all corners of the lecture hall were having small discussions about which course to choose. There was even a point where the students were cheering for the teacher like it was somebody’s concert as the teacher continued his speech. Academy class is truly an opportunity for young adults to escape the stressful school courses and dive into their true interests.

（Written by Catie Doran Pictures by Sonia Yin）