High school is often considered a vehicle, transporting students to college and preparing them to thrive in more rigorous academic environments.  RBHS develops its students, in large part through the 22 AP classes that are offered.  This year, however, AP European History was not offered.
“We build our master schedule based on student request as well as appropriate teaching staff to teach,” Director of Guidance Betsy Jones said. “That is what happened with AP Euro. [Eric] Webbell resigned so we didn’t have appropriate staff to teach.”
The class, however, may be offered in the near future, w
With the addition of Kim Thielen-Metcalf, who recently moved from Mason City, Iowa. Metcalf, who is willing to teach the class, described the multitude of benefits available to students by taking the course.
“The class transfers into universities as a humanities credit … it transfers out as a nine hour class that most freshmen take,” Metcalf said. “World history is conceptual, the big ideas. AP Euro is a more specific study of the European vantage point.”
Some students feel that these benefits, as well as the class as a whole, are enough to enroll.
“I feel like it’s a class that I can learn a lot from, and it looks good on resumes,” junior Drew Webber said. “Overall, it seems really interesting, especially for students who enjoy history.”
Despite AP Euro not being offered, Jones still feels that RBHS offers an adequate amount of AP courses.
“I think it’s disappointing that we weren’t able to offer [AP Euro],” Jones said.  “But we offer 22 AP courses … so there are plenty of courses in the social sciences that we felt comfortable with [offering].”
Still, Metcalf would like to see AP Euro being offered in the years to come.
“I’m a history nerd, I love [teaching classes],” Metcalf said.  “If the demand is there, I am more then willing to supply my knowledge.”

Several students dropped classes for other ones, causing enrollment to be an issue. Paxton Kreibel said, “I dropped Animation for CASA and an AUT.” For other classes, like AP Euro, the class is not offered due to a lack of teaching staff. Photo by Tyson Jamieson
By Ji-Ho Lee