A highlight of my day has always been the peer counseling class. Each day last semester our class discussed issues of importance, and I often walked away with a newfound opinion or a topic which I bookmarked in my mind to explore later.

At the end of last semester, peer counseling teacher and vice principal Molly Sargent announced that all the Bible classes would be taking on a new curriculum. However, since I am in the peer counseling class, I was not expecting to be affected by the changes. Peer counseling follows a unique set of subjects and does not generally participate in the studies of the regular Bible classes.

However, I was surprised to find out that our class would also implement the Precept Upon Precept Kinsman Redeemer and Sermon on the Mount studies. I did not have an opinion about them, because I had never encountered a study of this type before. I was optimistic, but that would soon change.

While I am absolutely positive that the writers of the Kinsman Redeemer booklets have nothing but the best intentions, the material quickly became redundant and almost demeaning, in my opinion. The same question was presented several times over but in different forms, which caused me to feel as though it was expected that I had a low amount of intelligence. I often wondered what good the writers thought would come from having us write the same answer three times.

My least favorite component of the packets was definitely the observation worksheets. Students underlined and colored symbols above repeated words which sometimes appeared 20 times, reminding me of kindergarten activities.

The point of this activity was to highlight important words and make it easier to go back into the text and view every instance of a particular word or phrase. I realize that it is an effective tool for some students, such as visual learners, but I personally found it to be a superfluous exercise. The colors often became overwhelming and not in the least helpful as I looked for a particular phrase.

Fortunately, our class is no longer required to complete the observation worksheets; they are optional now. I prefer to take notes on the edges of the worksheets, recording the occasional word I find to be important and writing definitions.

My religious beliefs were strengthened more last semester, with an attainment of knowledge that I feel like I worked hard and philosophized to get ? not that I received a particular letter grade for.

Ever since attending Fresno Christian, I have always thought it is unusual that we received a grade for Bible class. Of course it looks good academically and to the school’s sponsors, but can students really be graded on how much they genuinely participate in class or what they will walk away with, and possibly what will change their life as a result of a class discussion?

I wish that I was the odd man out in my dislike of the Kinsman Redeemer packets, since we are basically stuck with them. However, the Pulse, the poll of The Feather Online, proves that many students agree with me. Approximately 68 percent of the 195 responses believe that the new Bible curriculum is “a waste of time.” Only 6 percent feel that it is beneficial and they are “learning a lot.”

I was pleasantly surprised when Sargent announced that for the new packets, Sermon on the Mount, we would be doing much of the work at home and reserve class time for discussions and other peer counseling work. Sargent also mentioned that she would tell us before assigning the homework which questions were unnecessary to answer or redundant. This saves us all the frustration of answering multiple times.

Thus far the structure of class has worked much better for peer counseling. We are back to having beneficial conversations and are not bogged down by trying to trudge through the packets as fast as we can. Previously, I felt guilty when bringing up an issue for discussion, as it was taking time away from the packets, but now we are able to get everything done.

We are very fortunate to have had these packets donated to our school. Many hard-earned dollars went into buying these packets, which are beneficial when used in the correct context. It seems that the hopes of the donors, which I assume to be bettering each and every student and their relationship with God, seem to be coming to fruition.

Although the beginning was rough and there were many days when I dreaded the thought of entering peer counseling, I have now grown to appreciate the Sermon on the Mount curriculum. It was generously donated to our school and I believe, when used appropriately, it is an effective tool.