Although The Humanities Center only opened its doors at the beginning of this school year, the new study space designed by the English and History departments is sure to make a positive impact on LS.
Located in the C300s, The Humanities Center is a successful revamp of the History and English Department’s computer lab into a haven for students looking to get help on any writing assignment. Phillip James, History Department Coordinator, shares, “going back maybe three or four years, there were rows of tables with desktops.” According to James, it has been the same way since 2005 when the school opened up. And with the passing of 18 years, “technology has changed a lot, and there is really no need for that dedicated space,” says James. This is evident, with many students unaware of the space. Additionally, Dan Conti, English Department Coordinator, explains, “about two years ago we started thinking about repurposing the space”. Mr. James and Mr. Conti took this blank slate and came up with the idea for “a space where students could drop in for writing help”.
A subcommittee of English and History teachers, including Mr. Conti, Mr. James, and Mr. Hanover, who was “instrumental” in the development of the center, accelerated the process of creating The Humanities Center last school year. Additionally, both James and Conti recognize former L-S Superintendent Bella Wong as “generous in her support for the center” as she prompted the creation of the planning board. According to Conti, the group met “to plan and solicit feedback, not only from [the English and History] departments, but from other stakeholders in the building, such as the METCO director, the associate principals, and the Math department with Cafe Mathematica.” Cafe Math and the new and improved Science Academy were key inspirations for the development of the The Humanities Center, as both spaces provide students with help on a regular schedule. Mr. James encourages students to stop in: “If students wish to come in to get help with a writing assignment, [they] can come here, and there’s somebody here to help them.”
Staffed with teachers during lunch all Blue and White weeks, The Humanities Center provides opportunities for writing assistance while serving as a space for a variety of other creative activities. Mr. James describes The Humanities Center as a “quiet, very comfortable place to come and do work, or to read. You don’t have to be reading for class, you could be reading for leisure. Hopefully [students] find it to be a welcoming place, to just do work or hang out with friends.” This is one definite similarity between the idea behind The Humanities Center and the reality of Cafe Math. The Humanities Center hopes to be used as not only a center for writing but also a space for students to relax and hang out. Mr. Conti agrees, promoting the center as “ a place [students] can drop by for help on anything they’re working on in their humanities classes, whether it be writing, or projects, or a reading.” In addition to reading and writing, partitions separate the room into desks, comfortable chairs, and free working space, providing ample area for students to either stage a scene from a play, host a mock trial, or finish an essay.
As the school year goes on, the humanities teachers hope that The Humanities Center will be viewed as a helpful resource for LS students. “It’s a new space,” explains James, “we want students to come by, whether to seek writing help or just to sit quietly and read.” Although the center is young at LS, it is a welcoming space, and the possibilities for this year are limitless. “I would love to see [the Humanities Center] become that regularly used space where it’s just second nature for people to come in and work, and seek help,” says Conti. “We’ll discover things as we do this… it’s exciting.”