After 30 years, LS’s philosophy class is retiring along with its beloved teacher, Mr. James. Although it is not uncommon for a class to stop running when its teacher leaves, it is disappointing to many students who won’t get a chance to take it. Current philosophy student, Daniel Leonce remembers that, “I was crossing my fingers for the scheduling department to put me in philosophy this year.” For Daniel and many other students, the class is an opportunity to explore unique new ideas. It gives kids the resources to become thoughtful and active citizens by examining ethical and political philosophy throughout history. Mr. James’s enthusiasm for these topics and his effective teaching style leaves a lasting impact on his students. The class “encourages me to think introspectively and to be more conscious of the world around me”, Daniel says. While dealing with important topics, Mr. James manages to keep the class fun with “Secret Socretes” gift exchanges and sharing food on Fridays. He “makes learning very exciting,” Daniel comments.

When a class no longer has a teacher, according to Mr. James, “the department really thinks about: is there anyone who is willing or able to teach the class?” but often the only option is to stop offering it. Philosophy is a very well liked class, so it’s no wonder that students who planned to take it are disappointed. If given the choice, Mr. James would want philosophy to keep running under a different teacher, but he says, “There’s lots of good classes, so even though I think philosophy is very important, I would never make the statement that every student has to take philosophy.” Still, the fact that LS’s fantastic selection of history classes will be a bit less diverse next year is troubling news to many.