Global Studies is a signature program that is unique to Isidore Newman School. The program’s goal is to give students “the skills to navigate across cultural barriers, understand multiple perspectives, and evaluate the validity and context of the information they receive with an open mind and a critical eye.” In a hyper-globalized world, it is increasingly important for students to understand diverse perspectives and make cross-cultural connections.
Many students’ senior-years schedules are defined by their Global Studies choice, shifting around other classes to accommodate their top pick. However, why do students limit themselves to one class? Frequently, seniors have open elective blocks in their schedules, often filling them with classes they are not interested in taking. Global Studies provides the opportunity for students to enrich their understanding of the world, and, as a project-based class, it is not a significant burden added on top of senior-year workloads. Although seniors are required to take at least one Global Studies class, why simultaneously prevent inquisitive underclassmen from global exploration? As long as there is still a course available for them to take their senior year, they shouldn’t be limited during their freshman, sophomore, and junior years.
In fact, Newman offers many Global Studies courses, a few of which are not even full. The range of classes offered includes China and Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. There are also specialized classes taught in Spanish and French respectively, including Estudios Globales: América Latina and Études Francophones.
While some may have a few concerns with class sizes and availability, there are a few solutions. First, priority would still be given to seniors when filling classes to ensure they can enroll in one of their top three class selections. Second, the History Department likely needs at least one more faculty member regardless, as demand for classes expands in general. Just last school year (2024-2025), three blocks of AP United States History were created as a result of the demand of the Class of 2026, leaving Dr. Remillard with only two blocks of availability. Additionally, it is famously difficult to secure a spot in the sole block Dr. Remillard’s AP Microeconomics class. With the addition of more faculty members, once classes are shifted around, vacant slots could be filled with new Global Studies classes or new blocks.
A few seniors who shared their opinions mentioned they would like to take a class about China, Hong Kong, and China’s conquered islands. Another senior mentioned they would enjoy a North America class that focuses on the indigenous populations of Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada. Others commented they would be interested in a class focusing on South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, or the British Crown, which would discuss British colonization and imperialism. The last suggestion was Global Studies Russia and Eurasia. While Newman’s Global Studies offerings are quite expansive, there are still some regions that Newman students would like to study that are out of the bounds of the current Global Studies offerings.
My Experience
My Estudios Globales class only has 10 members, despite the fact that the majority of students study Spanish as their required foreign language. While I did not have any expectations walking into my first class, I am increasingly interested the material and engaged in class discussions. Throughout the first quarter, we began by exploring the decades-long conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian Government, which created tensions between the government and lower classes, especially individuals living in rural areas. Afterward, we reviewed Christopher Columbus’ journey across the Atlantic Ocean and following European colonization of the Americas. While I was initially confused about why we kept jumping between different time periods, the two were reconciled when we watched También la Lluvia (Even the Rain). The film used a modern context to demonstrate the contrast between the priorities of natives in Latin America and their European visitors who, both knowingly and unknowingly, often exploit their hosts.
While I am intrigued by my Estudios Globales class, my friends’ stories from their own classes are equally interesting. In China and Japan, students paired up to present proposals for Communist Policies, and a few pairs of students were assigned by Dr. Krob to role play spies. These students were instructed to report classmates whose projects were not “Communist enough,” which encouraged students to research further and prepare more extensively for their projects.
Perhaps the best reason to enroll in multiple Global Studies classes is to utilize the resources available to us as Newman Students. It is clear that the staff teaching these electives are uniquely knowledgeable because of their backgrounds and extensive education. Whenever we watch a video in Estudios Globales, Sra. Davis will listen carefully to the speaker’s accent to discern which Spanish-speaking country she believes they are from. Taking multiple Global Studies classes would allow students to tap into their teachers’ deep expertise in their respective subject areas.
Students could pair China and Japan with Africa, or Middle East with Latin America. The possibilities are (almost) endless.
