SUSA Special Requirements

Formal tests and their resulting grades and official transcripts are sometimes antithetical to true learning because they measure what someone else wanted the student to learn rather than the student’s own mastery of his/her own thoughts, feelings, and passions. To be successful in its purposes, SUSA must give permission to its students to stand up and be counted not just in the comfort of the status quo and its majorities, but also when strength of character is required in the solitary effort of contrary self-expression.

TUESDAY LUNCH FORUMS: SUSA students—on a rotating basis—will be expected to organize and lead a forum discussion during lunch every Tuesday on the general theme, “American Ideals versus Harsh Realities: A Solution.” Being an active participant in at least one forum will be required for graduation. No grade will be given.

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE: SUSA will require each of its students to participate in a public performance at least once before graduating from high school. This requirement can be fulfilled by having a letter to the editor published in any public periodical, by being published as a writer or artist in any public periodical, by giving a public solo music recital, by being a singer or musician in a group that gives a public concert, by having artwork displayed in a public exhibit, by giving a poetry reading at an open mike in a public space, by participating in a speech contest, by being a member of the cast or crew of a publicly performed play or stage production of any kind, by having a science experiment displayed publicly as an entry in a science competition, and/or by being a member of an interscholastic competing team of any sort. No grade will be given.

THE SUSA PUBLIC FORUM: The SUSA faculty will organize and host a public forum once every term on the theme, “Religion, Tolerance, & The Constitution.” The forum will invite community leaders of all sorts as participants. SUSA students will be encouraged to attend all four of these forums every year, but will be required to attend only one every year for graduation. No grade will be given.

GAMES PLAYING: All SUSA students will be required to regularly participate in organized games playing opportunities to learn intelligent risk-taking skills. The games will be simulations, board games, and card games of all sorts, and will occasionally include betting, though no real money will ever be used. No grade will be given.