Recently, there have been several changes made to Marlborough’s existing programs. For example, Violet’s Television (also known as VTV) is now becoming a two-level course called Violet’s Television & Broadcast Journalism I and II. Another change is the implementation of the Korean language program as an accredited language class, in addition to the previously existing uncredited electives.
VTV, originally run by Student Publications and Media Program Head Jena English and produced by UltraViolet editors and other volunteers, will now be spearheaded by Media Studio Specialist Erick Huezo. The program previously operated as a club that posted videos to a Youtube channel. VTV is taking a new form next year as an allocated class, which opens a whole new world of possibilities for broadcast journalism at Marlborough.
This club-turned class is designed to give students an outlet to learn skills in editing, video production and broadcasting.
“What I want [the class] to be is a focused, student-run show, where students drive the interest of what we want to do and share it with the community,” Huezo said.
While this course is not credited as an art course, it nevertheless serves as a place where students can develop their creativity. Some students oppose the administration’s choice to offer the course as uncredited.
“I want to try and take VTV next year, and I hope it’s going to be a fun outlet for me to just film and talk without pressure to make it perfect,” Jiya ‘24 said. “But without receiving the credit it’s hard to fit into my day.”
Another course that is not for full credit is the Korean elective, which has turned into a for-credit language course. This year, Intro to Korean and Basic Korean were offered as full-year courses. Now underneath the World Languages section of the 2022 course of study, the Korean branch will offer the full-year credited course Korean 1A in addition to Introduction to Korean Language and Culture II, which will remain a semester-long elective and will thus be uncredited.
“Korean 1A will be open to anybody, so [grades] 7-12, similar to any other language course, but Intro to Korean II is only available for 9-12 graders,” World Language Instructor YoonJu Mangione said.
These changes were long-awaited by many students who wanted to take a Korean language course but wanted credit, such as Ava ‘23.
“The Korean course becoming an accredited class is a great step in the right direction, as I believe it underscores Marlborough’s commitment to highlighting Asian culture and language,” Ava said. “I think that the class only being an elective this year may have been a deterrent for some to participate, so this is a great way to invite more students to learn, while not having to worry about meeting a certain language requirement.”
After undergoing these welcome modifications, these two electives will continue to adapt and change to best-fit students’ learning. With course requests coming up, check the course of study for all the new and altered classes including these ones.
As remarked by Hunter ‘24, “I think this year there will be more interest in electives due to changes being made right now.”
