Columbus Hosts its Annual Elective Fair

by Oscar Pinto

All the posters set up at the gym during the Elective Fair. (Photo Credit: Br. Eladio)

Hundreds of kids gather in the Columbus gym. But it’s not to watch its nationally ranked basketball team. They're there to explore their future by walking through all the boards of electives that the school has to offer at the annual Elective Fair. 

What is the Elective Fair?

The elective fair is an annual event in Columbus that helps students choose the right pathway based on the electives offered. The pathways are options that Columbus students can choose from a particular set of courses.

Pathways are curricula that students can choose to pursue, guiding them toward their desired areas of study. Pathways range from careers in Engineering, Business, STEM and Journalism.

How it works

The way the fair works is super simple. Students, during their religion class, go down to the gym, where they are greeted at the front by faculty and staff members and given a piece of paper with a wide variety of elections organized by pathways.

“You get to see a lot of these underclassmen, first-year students, and sophomores being able to. Actually, choose their passion, like Italian, engineering, or Spanish, literally, just anything that we have here, and they'll be able to do it,” said senior Lucas Dominguez.

Students then get to roam around the gym for 45 minutes, asking questions to those who represent the electives, typically students. The electives are set up on tables, and a poster board is set up explaining what the elective is and the materials you will learn in that course.

The Setup

Students begin by setting up for the event. Elective students arrive early to school, pick up the boards representing their electives, and proceed to the gym to place them or locate them if they have already been set up. Throughout the day, students market their respective boards, unless they switch off with another student.

How it Went

The elective fair at Christopher Columbus was a success once again, according to attendees. Students are more educated about what they want to pursue in the future at the school.

Junior Reinaldo Alfonso said, "It's gone pretty well. There are sign-ups for every elective. 
Kids are getting to figure out what they want to do, how they can accomplish it, and what'll look best for college and their life goals."

New Language at the School (Nuova lingua a scuola)

Italian has come to Columbus: a new language course available to Juniors and Seniors. Ms. Medico, the AP Spanish Literature teacher, will teach this class. Students will learn about Italian culture, lifestyle and traditions, as well as learning Italian History.