For the second year, the Roger Erickson Humanities Fellowship has returned. The Humanities Fellowship, jumpstarted by Charli Zahtila, ‘26, provides a space for students interested in the humanities to bring their ideas to life. Projects have a wide range of topics, some of which include literature, the visual arts, community outreach, and history. Faculty advisors (Ms. Fisk, Mr. Mendel, Dr. Duke, and Ms. Loizides) are available for both consultation and brainstorming. Last year, a play written by Eleanor Lawton-Flatters, ‘26, won the Roger Erickson award. Her play focuses on the changes in care for mental illnesses, covering two different women in two different centuries. Other projects included a website for literary publishing, a project focused on collecting and distributing history books to libraries, and a podcast on different faiths. This year, the fellowship has more members and more ideas, many of which will begin to come to life in the coming weeks at meetings.
I was first asked to be a part of the fellowship in the summer of 2024. I was intrigued by the idea, and I was excited about the prospect of a space dedicated to the humanities. Oftentimes, we overlook the immense value and importance of the various fields and contributions within the humanities. Furthermore, we overlook the ways in which the humanities connect with STEM-related areas of interest. When I attended the first meeting in September of 2024, I enjoyed the conversations members were able to have with one another on topics such as writing, books, historical interests, and the arts. We discussed opportunities for our various forms of work to be highlighted (such as the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which is a fantastic contest that is currently open to submissions). We also shared ideas on how to increase participation and interest in the humanities. Eventually, some of these ideas led to our projects and their respective target audiences.
In the beginning, meetings were focused on discussing both the humanities themselves and how they impact nearly all the corners of our world. What a fellowship could look like in the future also pervaded conversations, during which we turned towards other institutions for inspiration, such as the Stanford Humanities Center, which highlights humanities research and researchers. These conversations helped us create ideas for our path forwards, especially for our younger members who would one day be the leaders.
When asked about the benefits of the Humanities Fellowship, one current member said that “The Humanities Fellowship allows collective discourse on what the humanities are and how we can transform and use them in the 21st century.” This statement of connectivity and progress seems to be one that is shared by many members, with another current participant stating that “We are able to work in a space together where we can build off of each others ideas and benefit as a group.” As for myself, the Humanities Fellowship has allowed me to share my ideas and interests with likeminded people. It has fostered my project, which I am continuing this year. Tangible impact is made by fellowship members in various areas of the humanities. One thing that they all promote, however, is the ability of members to produce projects that give back to the community, further enhancing the humanities for younger students and for the school as a whole.
