When looking at my options for classes last year I was disappointed, to say the least. There were a few options that were passable but none that truly peaked my interest. My dad would always tell me about how he took woodshop in highschool, making me wish I had been around then to experience it. As a very hands-on person I felt left out.

Having a class like this available would fill a gap in the types of classes offered here at the highschool. There are other programs such as KCTC that offer courses that include hands-on working with physical materials, but for those who just want to give it a try, it’s not really an option. KCTC is a commitment that you have to make and dropping out of it can be a hassle.

For those who know they want to get into a career with wood-working, KCTC offers an Applied Construction Technology course that teaches you what it’s like to work on a construction site and utilize a variety of different hand tools to assemble homes. By completing this course students can earn college credits to further their career goals, all for free. This partially fills the gap of trade-type classes but once again, KCTC is a specialized program for those who know for certain they want to get into a trade. For those like myself who are in the middle college program, taking a course at KCTC isn’t even a possibility.

Safety is of course a concern. Giving highschoolers access to potentially dangerous power tools doesn’t sound like the greatest idea, however we’ve done it for years before this, so what’s different now? Besides, if not taught in schools that leaves it to the student to teach themselves, likely unsupervised and in less than ideal conditions.

There could be students who may have really enjoyed a class like this (or hated it), and will never get to know, possibly missing out on an opportunity for the future. When asked if he would take a woodshop class, senior Cesar Hernandez says “absolutely!” Noting that it would “break the monotony of this endless cycle,” and bring him “temporary relief from this sea of unending sadness.” This is true for many students, and while I won’t be taking a woodshop class here any time soon, maybe, just maybe, future generations will get the chance to.