Have you ever wanted to put your creativity to the test? Well, I have the perfect class you can look into joining! The new elective is called Jewelry Making and Metalsmithing and the elective is only a half of a year long (semester). Many people tend to forget art comes in many different ways. Some believe if you don’t know how to draw, then you can’t be artistic. The teacher for the new class, Ms. Unice, really wanted to change that view. In her new class, Jewelry Making and Metalsmithing, she believes it’s a great opportunity to try something new. In this class you will learn the basics of how to put your creativity to the test. You will learn how to solder two pieces of metal and copper together and many other skills such as balling up metal. Some projects the class is working on right now are rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets. I had spoken to Ms. Unice about the class and asked her a few questions. When asked, why did you want to make this a class, she responded how it was her favorite thing to do in the art world. While having a brief conversation she also informed me that she has her bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing from Edinboro University and after her 15 years of experience she wanted to bring the class to Meadville Area Senior High school.

Michael Dooley and Noah Stump also gave their thoughts about the elective. They both said they would recommend the class in a heartbeat. When I had asked Michael why he would recommend the class he said, “It’s a fun course and I mean you get free jewelry.” Some of the favorite projects that the students have made included rings, bracelets, and earrings. I am also part of the class and overall the course is worth taking. You learn things that you may find hard pretty easy by the end of the semester.

When starting this class, you can have no experience in anything involving it. The class has been a calming environment as far as I can say. The class is a place you can let your own imaginations come to life. Ms. Unice is never scared nor intimidated to try something new. You can always look up the basics on how to make what you want, and from there you can texturize your piece or leave it as it is. Some of the basic skills you will use in almost every project are the pickle (if you solder), the sander, and the polisher. You will use other tools along the way, but those are the basic things necessary to get your final project done. Also in this class you will not always be able to work at once. As a beginner in the class it’s hard to have the teacher around everyone at once. You will be working project by project. Once everyone finishes their first, you will move on to the second and so forth.

In conclusion, I believe that the class is a great learning experience to be added onto the electives here at MASH. I would strongly recommend looking into the class more. If you’re interested in the class you can see Ms. Unice in room A19 or email her at [email protected].