Calling All Rising Ninth Graders: TMA or DMW?

As much as it’s a tempting option to spend your freshman year in a high school, I would argue that the 9th grade is the pinnacle of the Fay experience. And as a rising ninth grader, one of the large choices you must make is whether or not to choose TMA (Topics of Modern America) or DMW (Diagnosing the Modern World).

The large difference between the two is the material covered in class. TMA is a course which focuses on 20th century American history, taught by Mr. Beloff. “We started with the creation of the nuke, and right now we’re studying Carter’s administration, and its’ handling of the oil shortage in 1976,” said Jeffrey ’17. “It teaches you how to argue something, as well as allowing us to study American culture during the 1950’s.”

DMW, on the other hand, is a combined science-history course that focuses on the modern world, spanning three different units: Earth history, water and energy, and food. Taught by both Mr. and Mrs. McCauley, respectively science and history experts, the course fulfills both science and history requirements, allowing ninth graders the liberty of picking any two courses among Biology, DMW, and TMA. A highlight of the class is the Spring term EOT project, the McCauleys’ take on MasterChef, where students are asked, in groups, to prepare a meal that fulfills a certain set of requirements.

“Although it was really hard to give up the opportunity to take DMW with the McCauley's, I had been waiting years to take TMA,” Allie ‘17 said, “because students develop a completely new set of skills as historians. The era we discuss is modern enough to make connections from previous events to the present day, but the cultural aspect of the Cold War is the coolest part; we get to look past the facts and dates, and see into the sociology behind different eras. Learning about the changes in music, fashion, cars, and youth culture from the 40s to the 90s is the most amazing experience. Mr. Beloff works so hard to make sure we come away with an appreciation for the complexity of history, and really just knows how to make the class fun.”

“I chose TMA mainly because of the depth of the class and how it is taught by the most enthusiastic teacher, Mr Beloff. He loves his job and his dedication toward his teaching makes us want to work harder. He always tries to understand our workload because he knows what we went through, due to him being an alum. That’s what makes TMA unique as well as fun!” Himeno ‘17 said.

“I picked DMW because I wanted to learn more about our world now versus our world then,” said Maddie ‘17. “In DMW, we learned about world history in the fall term - how the world was created: starting from the big bang until the industrial revolution with factories and mass production. Then, we studied water and energy in the winter, and we learned about food in the spring. I chose DMW simply because I was more interested in current events, and I thought it was more important to know how our world works now. Also, it’s not everyday that you’re taught by both McCauleys.”

“I chose TMA because in eighth grade, I began liking history more and more. I also wanted to learn more about my country's history. Mr. Beloff makes learning about history, a subject that could easily be boring, very fun with his various analogies and jokes that make class even more exciting,” Jade ‘17 said.

Personally, I chose DMW because I felt as though DMW encompassed a wider variety of more modern disciplines, and I thought that a more well-rounded class was for me. As a DMW student, I learn things which I am able to apply to my real life, such as picking local options by inspecting food packaging labels, or saving water when necessary because I know the extent of the harm not doing so can cause; in the end, this is perhaps the more practical option.

As to what course you should take, it’s really up to you. Both are extraordinary options, and explore different areas of a very vast world. If there’s one piece of advice I could give, it’s that in the end, it really boils down to what you want to learn. And, if you really can’t decide, then take both; although picking Biology is an unsaid standard among ninth graders, go where your heart tells you to go.

Derek Ng ‘17

Edited by Maddie Lee ‘17