The history department will remove the semester-long elective World Politics from the curriculum next year and introduce many of its components to a new year-long course called AP Geography and International Relations. The original AP Geography course is still being offered in the second semester.

History Teacher Nini Halkett has taught World Politics for more than 20 years.

“It’s always been kind of my baby, and I’m the only one who teaches it,” Halkett said. “Even though it’s small, it ends up being a close knit group, and I get to know the students really well in the smaller setting.”

Classes discuss social, economic and political issues  and participate in the International Negotiations Projects, an international diplomacy computer simulation where students assume the role of a country and discuss issues from that country’s point of view. Topics include  the Euro Zone crisis, human trafficking and nuclear proliferation.

Halkett will bring the computer simulation to her new class in addition to taking a new approach.

“I hope it will continue to foster interest in international relations,” History Department Head Katherine Holmes-Chuba said. “We need interested, willing students to be more on the diplomacy government side.”