Major changes are occurring at Western Albemarle, with new classes being offered every year.  The Environmental Science Academy opened in August of 2014, and next year’s new transformation will be from AP European History to AP World History.

Euro, the commonly used name for European History, has been primarily taken by sophomores and has a reputation as being one of the more difficult AP classes offered at Western.

This year there are two classes filled with AP Euro students, all taught by Elizabeth Mulcahy. It includes a lot of studying to go with the class, but many students that have taken it feel that it is a very rewarding experience.

In order take AP Euro, a student should be passionate about history and be open to learning about almost anything that comes up in the class discussions or in the reading. Although some are sad that this class will be the last to bear through the rigorous course, but at least future sophomores will have the option of a class almost identical to it.

The new class will be very new to the students of Western, as AP Euro has been the AP history class since 2004. Mulcahy, the soon to be teacher of AP World History, said that the new class will be far less fact-driven, and more concept based than Euro. It will also have more of an emphasis on the global view and global future, unlike the European view of the world taught currently.

Mulcahy has spoken with the AP World teacher at Albemarle High School about teaching the class and is very excited to be teaching the class at WAHS.

The content will go well with other classes like the Environmental Science Academy’s honors  Geography course, that are now offered to many students.

The administration has talked about the change for a few years and is now finally putting it into effect. It is great to see adjustments being made at Western that will impact the school for the better in years to come.