Freedom of Expression

By Tian Xiang Hwang

“So, I wanna hear your opinions on Harry and Meghan,” Mr. Jason Knutson asked the class unexpectedly one day.

There are many classes in Dalat International School, ranging from a science class like Physics to the hard AP classes like AP Calculus. However, there is one very underrated class in particular called AP Comparative Government & Politics, which there are only four students taking. In that class, you learn about political concepts, type of regime, democratization, and the examples of the six countries of the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico.

The teacher, Mr. Jason Knutson, has done a good job on making the class discussion-based. He managed to keep the class engaged by talking about modern politics of the six countries and current events. Now, talking about current events might sound extremely unrelated to the class, such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, Harry was part of a royal institution that has been around for many centuries, and his actions does affect the reputation of the institution a lot. Things like this are fun to talk about, which really gets people engaged. The mood in the class seemed very focused and enjoyable. It would be safe to say that the opinion of every student on this class is positive. 

Evan Kuan (12) stated, “I think that Comp Gov is a very good example of a class that has application in real life as well. The concepts that we learn in this class allow us or better understand the workings of governments around us.”

There are various reasons why people take that class, such as wanting to learn more about politics, liking politics, world events, the different types of governments, the history of those countries, or because it’s an easy AP class. 

According to Limey Chhor (11), “AP Comp Gov challenges me. It makes me more aware of things that are happening in certain parts of the world and pushes me to explore what factors lead to those events and what these changes are likely to result in. It's a class that takes me beyond my subjective view and to make sense of things from an objective standpoint.”

Everyone who has taken this class definitely would take away something once they complete the AP exam. Everyone currently taking it has something in mind as to what they hope to learn and take away. 

As Yuna Lee (11) said, “I personally hope to take away from this class a deeper comprehension of how governments operate, how they can impact the lives of everyday citizens, and the various challenges and opportunities that these governments and political systems present. Additionally, I hope to develop through this course a deeper appreciation for the diversity of political systems, cultural practices, and traditions around the world and how they help influence our way of life.”