Life at MA

By Tillie Solomon ‘27 in Spring 2025

MA strives to be unique in many ways. Whether it’s an emphasis on competency based learning or a lack of AP classes, life at Marin Academy can be very different from the average high school experience. The question, then, is whether these differentiations help or hinder us.

The English curriculum is one such differentiation. While many schools read only classics like Pride and Prejudice or Othello, MA students supplement classics with Mexican Gothic in sophomore year and The Leavers as juniors. 

Marisa Gomez, the chair of the English department, explains that this diversity in viewpoints is part of a larger goal to “Get a variety of perspectives…through which to see what it means to be a human being.” Introducing contemporary literature also helps make reading more accessible for students who might not enjoy it otherwise. 

However, some feel that this takes away from the unique opportunity to get teenagers to read classic literature that they would likely not otherwise interact with. Though it might be less fun to read, many insist that teenagers will, in the long run, be glad to have read books like Little Women or The Color Purple and appreciate being able to understand the numerous cultural references and allusions to such literary classics. One anonymous student emphasizes, “I’m in class to learn, not to read a book that’s made for summer vacation.” 

Ultimately, the question seems to become, “What do we value more?” Is it better to introduce a variety of book types with books that may be more superficial? Or, do we emphasize the importance of reading famous literature from which to derive a more universal understanding of the literary world?