Nadiyah Browning ’16: The often dreaded graduation requirement of two religion credits has caused many to feel limited in their course options and some to question the reason for having them. As the school name suggests, the Episcopal Academy has placed great value on religion and faith. That emphasis has not been missed as the breath-taking 15,000 square foot chapel is effectively placed in the center of our campus and spirituality is promoted through Chapel every other day.
Unfortunately, the emphasis on faith has become a burden to students wishing for more flexibility and individuality in their schedules. This is true even with Episcopal’s wide selection of religion courses that go beyond Christianity to identify with the diverse beliefs of the student body. These courses include: Peoples of the Book, Genocide, World Religions, Ethics, and Deliver Us From Evil. Although these courses may sound appealing to some, others feel they take away from a unique self-made high school experience. Schedules begin to look uniform and students feel pressured to complete yet another requirement throughout their high school careers.
The issue of fitting the classes in does not affect the majority of students who finish their religion requirements during their freshman and sophomore years. But, for the substantial group who wait until their junior and senior years because their schedules are already filled with music or double languages, they are riddled with scheduling conflicts. Students with a big course load fear the fact that most religion courses are intensive and may require as much reading as a history class.
Aside from scheduling, students find themselves struggling to meet the requirement simply because their passions lie elsewhere. Becca Archambault ‘16, still faces the burden of her two religion requirements as she approaches her senior year. Archambault and many other students with tight schedules were not able to complete their requirements early on or over the summer. She stated, “Personally, I have an issue with the requirements because they are taking up the space in my schedule to take classes that are more challenging and rigorous.” While Archambault said she absolutely finds the value in these fascinating courses, she believes the religion department should offer more options such as online courses or granting the ability to take more than one course over the summer.
However, Dr. Christopher Row, Head of the Religion Department, emphasized that being exposed to these classes give an advantage to students. “Religion is playing a massive role in geo-politics today—from ISIS, to Palestine, to domestic politics—and the study of religion here at EA fosters more cosmopolitan students who are prepared to engage with that world,” said Row. He continued by noting that, “Contrary to the predictions of some, our world is becoming more religious, not less.” With this said, other students feel that they can better prepare themselves for their futures by doubling up on a science or language.
So it now leads to a question of balance; students must pursue their interests while still embracing the values of the school. If the objective is to prepare students for their futures in an ever changing world, they should be able to diversify their schedules more freely. The availability of these courses is important for those genuinely interested, but for those whose passions lie elsewhere they should become an option, not an obligation.