Genuises exist outside of math and science
When you think of genius what comes to mind? Probably the kid behind you in math class who knows, off the top of his head, how to integrate natural log’s inverse, the chemical properties of cobalt, and the equation for the speed of light. The definition of genius is “a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative” but our school, society, and culture have narrowed this meaning to relate solely to those gifted in math and science.
In our technologically advancing world, the race is on to see who can engineer the next greatest product—thus everyone wants to excel in science, math, and business to become successful. In college, parents and counselors often discourage arts and humanities majors, deeming them as impractical, but where would the world be without news, art museums, musicals, orchestras or novels?
The college admissions process places emphasis on the grade point average of core classes and standardized test scores. Though colleges find it important to test the mathematical, scientific, and critical thinking skills of students, these topics do not cover all ranges of intelligence for students today. There is no ACT section or SAT subject test for art or music, which can be seen as a disadvantage to those who excel in these areas in ways equal to those that show talent in the fields of math or science.
There are, of course, ways for students to be recognized for their artistic or linguistic talents, such as art schools or renowned writing programs, but that doesn’t suppress the fact that society continues to look upon math, science, and technology-related careers as those reserved for the smartest and most likely to be successful.
What many don’t realize is that those in those high-paid, science-related careers, didn’t get there by memorizing as many math formulas and facts as the human brain can hold—they must use originality and innovation in order to create anything new in that field. Steve Jobs was without a doubt, a scientific genius, but he made Apple based on creative ideas no one had had before.
BSM is a “college prep school,” which somehow means that art classes and creative electives are not recommended nor emphasized; between AP classes, and the other courses colleges like to see on the transcript, there is no room in the schedule. If genius, by definition, means intelligence or creativity, our school, and the rest of society should value cinematography, writing, and design as much as physics, chemistry and statistics.
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