By J1 Reporter Grace Woodard

Taking part in the Introduction to Humanities class is an experience one will never forget.

“The Introduction to Humanities class is probably one of my favorite classes at Marian because it helped me realize things I didn’t know about myself,” sophomore Ceci Urbanski said.

Introduction to the Humanities has been a class at Marian since the spring of 2020. It is available to all sophomores, juniors and seniors. 

In this class, students learn about various humanities topics including identity, philosophy, art and music, and others. Intro to Humanities is learning about topics that humans can relate to. The humanities are concepts that humans have brought to life in the world; they are subjects that study human society and culture. They also provide ways of studying the world by looking at the qualitative methodology, which is learning information through open-ended discussions. This method refers to what people think about and why they think that way.

“I think that even if not drawn to humanities, the Intro class helps to make you more well-rounded,” Mrs. Jillian Roger, chair of the Humanities Scholar Program, said. “I see incredible growth in students that have taken the class and who are taking it.”

Introduction to the Humanities is the introductory class to the Humanities Scholar Program (HSP). The HSP is a focused course of study of electives at Marian. It begins with the Intro to Humanities class followed by five elective courses in three different areas that relate to the humanities.

During their senior year, students do a capstone project in which they design a project using humanities studies. This year, there are 11 girls creating a capstone project. Some of the projects of this year’s seniors include a documentary on Field Day, identity in plays and musicals, depictions of the Holocaust, and African Diaspora.

While learning about the different humanities topics, one also learns writing, thinking, and communication skills.

“I like how we have open discussions. Not one discussion is the same, and people share really good ideas that make you think,” junior Alex Hoehne said.

“This class is unique because you are able to just talk and share your opinions, and there is no right or wrong answer, ” senior Anna Steinbruck said. “I would recommend Intro to other students because I think it opens your eyes to different views on various topics.”

“I am super passionate about learning about the humanities. I like to learn about people and relate to other people’s stories, “ Urbanski said. “I learned about my own and classmates’ reasoning and thought process behind things.”

“Hopefully you learn about yourself and humanity,” Roger said.