Humanities – Garret Chiu
Occasionally, when reading an addictive book, I’ll lose awareness of my surroundings and become absorbed in the world of the characters — as if I am right there with them. It’s remarkable that these vivid worlds and lifelike characters, who feel almost like close friends, are written to life by the imaginations of people who have had completely different lives from mine. The creativity of these authors is just one important skill taught in humanities classes, classes where students dive deeper into the expression of human nature.
At Aragon, every student is required to take English for four years and social sciences for 3.5, with other elective and arts classes also falling under the branch of humanities. Many students may want to skip these necessary classes because they want to use that time to pursue their hobbies or specialize their class selection to one major. However, humanities classes go beyond teaching students knowledge of history, language and writing, but prepare them with skills that will be necessary no matter what career they pursue in the future.
“[Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] provide the skills that are needed for specific high-level tasks, and that’s important because specialization is good,” said junior Stefan Baldini. “But humanities is more of a broad, all-encompassing skill set that is mainly just focused on humans, like … [human] interaction [and] human language.”
The four years of English in high school along with required English classes in college build reading and writing skills that can last a lifetime. No matter what profession one might have in the future, reading, writing and having clear communication skills will be necessary. English classes not only teach the language, but prepare students for public speaking and increase comprehension on day-to-day topics. History also prepares students for the world they will go into in the future by teaching them how to analyze current and past events. This critical analysis of human actions is not, and cannot be taught through numbers and calculations. Human nature is unpredictable, which is what makes the humanities so interesting.
“Outside of the box [thinking] and human creativity [are] what makes us special, and it’s what makes everyone different,” Baldini said. “How you interpret your creative output is amazing, and it’s special for everyone.”
While STEM studies the world around us, the humanities look inside each person and bring out what they have to offer. Whether it be creativity through writing and art, ideas through philosophy, or analysis of past events through history, human actions and personalities are one of the most intricate and complex topics to understand.
While creativity is needed in the STEM field, it pales in comparison to the creativity found in individuals with talents in the humanities. Writers are able to come up with whole worlds, characters and creatures beyond the imaginations of many people. Artists are able to paint extraordinary images with only their hands and their minds. Philosophers create ideas that revolutionize the way people act and come up with new forms of government. Even in STEM fields, having this creativity, a skill that stems from humanities, is what allows people to innovate ideas the world can benefit from. This creativity is fostered through exploring the concepts of other great minds and looking at the rest of the world through a different lens than just plain science and math.
There are skills that will be necessary in the future that may not be taught in STEM classes, which only focus on whatever the immediate subject is. These skills include critical thinking, analytical reasoning of texts or speech, moral judgment, creativity and imagination, social responsibility, societal structures and an appreciation for the arts. When two people have the same knowledge on a particular topic, being proficient at these skills marks the difference between a productive and liked employee against one that is only able to do independent busy work. Their abilities to understand and work with people allow them to solve issues quickly and communicate well with other employees.
Humanities classes must be emphasized in school to teach students lessons about character that will influence how they live the rest of their lives. While learning in STEM classes may add innovations to the field, those who study humanities have a holistic view of how humans can change the world. This allows them to create an impact that goes beyond just one subject. Teaching the humanities to students at a young age, teaches the future generation to be constructive and how to express their ideas to the rest of the world.
STEM – Jonathan Wong
When I was four years old, I remember getting in my dad’s car after daycare and asking him a question almost every day. I typically asked silly questions, like why I couldn’t have a pet hamster, or why I wasn’t able to fly. But one day, I asked my dad how his day at work was. Working at Genentech, he explained something complex about biotechnology. I didn’t understand anything he said, but I was fascinated by how much there was. The first spark of science hit me then, as I realized that I wanted to be a scientist. This interest continued throughout elementary and middle school. Many students looked forward to recess, but I looked forward to science class. I took extensive notes, attempted to remember every minute detail and I would go home and tell my parents everything. Now in high school, taking a myriad of STEM classes has solidified my desire to pursue a STEM field in the future.
When entering high school and learning about the many credits needed to graduate, it becomes obvious that the credit system favors humanities more than STEM. Social science and English classes are required for all four years of high school, while there are only two and three mandatory years of science and math, respectively. The high humanities class requirements cause many students to skip out on STEM elective courses where they may be able to find an interest.
Classes such as engineering, statistics, physics and many others are not mandatory to graduate. This causes students who may be unsure about their future interests to only be able to test out either a humanities or STEM elective rather than both, especially for less competitive students looking to take fewer classes. STEM classes teach vital skills such as problem-solving and thinking outside the box, which not only help in a STEM environment, but also in daily life. One example of this was during Advanced Placement Chemistry, in which I had to figure out a lab procedure and then execute the lab afterward. This taught me not just chemistry techniques, but also problem-solving skills as I learned how to work out the procedure in order to produce a proper lab. Although not all students will want to pursue STEM, learning these skills can be beneficial in future experiences, whether that be in STEM or not. Having fewer mandatory classes of STEM takes away from learning these skills that can be applicable at any time.
A degree in STEM can be beneficial to multiple different jobs. According to the College Board, people with a degree in chemistry are not only able to apply for jobs as chemists but also environmental scientists, forensic scientists and even data scientists. The vast range of jobs that are available after graduating is what makes a STEM degree so valuable. Once STEM graduates enter the workforce, many people stereotypically see STEM as crunching numbers on a computer or continuous lab work, but there are so many more STEM jobs due to new discoveries continuously being made in the world of science. New innovations require new jobs, jobs that are constantly different from one another, creating a diverse workforce in STEM. Especially with the world evolving with advancements such as artificial intelligence, new jobs that are dedicated to studying artificial intelligence will be created, widening and diversifying the jobs that STEM can hold.
In all, STEM should be prioritized when it comes to school, as it will set one up with a strong foundation for the future. There are many benefits to taking STEM courses such as learning problem-solving skills that are applicable in and out of STEM, being able to acquire a job that is stable, yet well-paying and feeling a sense of satisfaction when the problem has finally been solved. High school and college already have years worth of humanities, which causes schools to miss out on more education in STEM. Students will be able to find a niche in the growing world of STEM. Having knowledge on STEM can help students understand the evolving world, and allow them to continue applying skills learned from STEM to their everyday lives.
