What the Other Half Would Like to Learn

Generally, academia is thought to be split into two fields: STEM and the humanities. STEM refers to science, technology, math, and engineering, while the humanities encompass literature, philosophy, history, language, religion, and art. Both fields offer students boundless opportunities to learn and grow. However, Stuyvesant, along with much of the academic and professional world, tends to disregard the merits of the humanities by offering fewer courses in the humanities  for underclassmen.

Stuyvesant students are interdisciplinary and able to succeed in both humanities and STEM classes. However, the school is often labeled as a STEM school because it caters more toward STEM-leaning students. While many Stuyvesant students do seem to prefer math and science classes, having the opportunity to take more courses in the humanities would be beneficial because STEM and the humanities are often intertwined. Tulane University found that skills developed in the humanities and liberal arts classes help people in various majors and jobs with communication and writing skills, as well as with connecting with clients, patients, supervisors, and teachers. In addition, giving underclassmen a balanced course load with a variety of classes, instead of mainly STEM electives, helps avoid burnout for humanities-inclined students. 

While in junior and senior year there are many amazing humanities courses that students can choose from, underclassmen have fewer options. There are fundamental English and foreign language courses, as well as AP Human Geography for freshmen and AP World or AP European History for sophomores. However, these courses are in limited quantity compared to the STEM department. Starting with freshman year, math and science courses are much more advanced in comparison with humanities classes. Incoming freshmen get to take placement tests in math that allow them to take honors courses, jump grade-wide requirements, and take higher-level courses—like Linear Algebra or Multivariate Calculus—earlier on. In addition to the core classes, there are more STEM electives available for underclassmen, such as Math Team, Sophomore Regeneron Research, Molecular Biology, and Urban Ecology. By not allowing students to take extra humanities-focused courses early on, Stuyvesant robs students of an advantage it gives to those interested in STEM. Humanities departments at Stuyvesant are filled with dedicated teachers and incredible courses. It is unfortunate that underclassmen only get to enjoy a small fraction of these departments. Classes such as Philosophy or Current Affairs, if available during freshman or sophomore year, would be beneficial and popular electives. 

Stuyvesant also only requires one semester each of Art and Music Appreciation classes during a student’s four years, while sophomore year is dedicated to computer science class—unless students opt to take drafting for one semester. Art and music classes are given much less time and emphasis, making these classes less invigorating than they could be. By giving students the opportunity to learn more in-depth material in each class over multiple semesters, Stuyvesant would help cultivate more of an interest in arts and music for many students, while allowing those already passionate about each subject to spend more time pursuing their interests. 

Humanities-focused underclassmen also don’t have the option to learn more in interesting humanities classes outside of the ones required for graduation. While some electives are offered for sophomore students, most of the humanities courses are nearly impossible to get into due to a limit on seats and senior priority. However, STEM courses, such as sophomore research, are reserved for sophomore students, allowing those interested in STEM to spend more time in classes they enjoy. In a rigorous and overwhelming environment, providing diverse electives can help motivate students and alleviate stress. Adding more humanities courses for underclassmen can ease their transitions to Stuyvesant and make time in high school more enjoyable. 

While it is commonly regarded that the humanities fields are less practical than STEM due to the increase of technology and science-based jobs, society has forgotten that the aptly-titled fields of humanities are important in our everyday lives. How people communicate with each other is what society relies on to thrive. Society doesn’t tend to talk colloquially about computer codes and math equations. Instead, we talk about politics, movies, books, and subjects that are born from philosophers, writers, and artists. Fields of humanities are both derived from and provoke emotion, creativity, and compassion. Reading books in English classes allows students to experience and analyze other perspectives and broaden their viewpoints by introducing unfamiliar situations. English classes are also very conversation-heavy, which allows underclassmen to communicate with their peers and forge a tight-knit community. History courses educate students on the past of the entire world, and in a hectic political climate, it is important to teach students to view current events through an educated and open-minded lens. Amid wars and raging politics, these courses are more important than ever. 

Classes in the humanities are incredibly important to prepare students for practical and worthwhile careers, as good communication skills are professionally indispensable. While some may say that AI is now capable of writing for us, making communication a superfluous skill, AI lacks human expertise, compassion, and does not rid society of the necessity of being able to communicate one’s thoughts. Knowing how to write emails and how to write in different styles is important, and students must learn these skills well before they are given the opportunity to explore the humanities classes as upperclassmen. Classes in the humanities also provide a foundation for careers in law, teaching, journalism, public relations, advertising, and more. The opportunity to explore interest in these majors before junior year would allow students to expand their understanding of the humanities, assuring them of the classes they would like to take later in, and after, high school. 

The humanities are just as essential as STEM and should also be emphasized in Stuyvesant. I have met many underclassmen at Stuyvesant who lament the lack of humanities courses for them to take. Stuyvesant gives its students the opportunity to learn advanced material, take hard tests, and complete the hours of homework required by its rigorous curriculum. However, Stuyvesant should also give underclassmen the opportunity to take more advanced and varied courses in the humanities. While every student should have an understanding of both the humanities and STEM, students interested in the humanities should have the same opportunities as STEM students to learn more about their field of interest.