At the end of my last poetry class for the semester, my professor pulled me aside to talk to me about my writing. During this conversation, he mentioned that there would be a creative writing major available in the 2019 spring semester at Stony Brook! This news not only shocked me, but it left a smile on my face throughout the entire day. Why? Because this, in my eyes, is a big success for the humanities.
For those who don't know, Stony Brook University is predominately STEM majors. The top three majors at Stony Brook consist of health-related programs, biological and biomedical studies, and engineering. To be quite honest, as an ex-STEM major, Stony Brook's science program is what drew me to the university in the first place.
However, as I began taking more English and writing courses (which led to the inevitable switch of my major), I realized how amazing their humanities department was, as well. Stony Brook contains a handful of amazing writers and notable professors who contribute to the humanities department. It's their passion that fuels the enthusiasm of non-STEM majors, who sometimes feel discouraged while they pursue their major.
Unfortunately, many college students still believe that pursuing any degree that isn't STEM-focused isn't realistic or that it's "easy" or they won't get a well-paying job in the future.
Luckily, with the new creative writing major that's available next semester, it'll show people that the humanities department is still thriving and flourishing with bright students. Students will now be able to develop bigger writing portfolios, take on more writing classes, and network with other writers. The new major will also create more valuable connections between students and staff, developing more opportunities to work with professors on papers and projects.
As an English major who is now contemplating double majoring with the new creative writing major, I appreciate how my university is expanding their major selection in the humanities. It's nice seeing attention being given to shadowed majors. And who knows, this could potentially open more doors for Stony Brook. Bringing a new humanities major to Stony Brook is a huge victory for the arts and the university, so let's celebrate that!
