After leaving for school in the morning, most students won’t be seeing their parents again for seven or more hours. However, sophomore Natan Zamansky and senior Batya Zamansky have the opportunity to see their father, computer science coordinator Michael Zamansky, all day long, because his office is always just a staircase away. Being at Stuyvesant together has proved to be an interesting experience for all three, sprinkled with awkward moments but also endless dinnertime conversation topics that stem from being at the same place at the same time.

Michael Zamansky is proud that a large part of his family has been educated at Stuyvesant, including his two children. It is a place where “you’re surrounded by a bunch of smart people with a wide range of talents,” he said. “I love the fact that 75 percent of the Zamansky family is in the same place every day.” Despite Michael Zamansky’s belief that the family spending so much time together is a benefit, one might think that the kids wouldn’t agree because of the resulting awkwardness. However, Natan and Batya enjoy the benefits of their father’s presence more than they are bothered by it.

Having a father at Stuyvesant is “not particularly awkward,” Natan Zamansky said. The only awkward aspect is that he is often identified as “Batya’s brother” or “Mr. Zamansky’s son” by people whom he is not acquainted with. He added that his experience at Stuyvesant would be “comparatively normal” if his father did not teach here, as attending school with a sibling is not a particularly unique experience.

Natan Zamansky rarely interacts with his father during school and does not think that there are any substantial drawbacks to his father’s presence in the building. In fact, there are advantages, namely “conveniences, storage, and easy communication,” he said. Both Zamansky siblings benefit from their father’s office. Natan Zamansky stored his oboe in the office last year and occasionally stops by in the morning, while Batya Zamansky goes there for the cookies.

Similarly, Batya Zamansky does not find being at the same school as her father a big deal. “I knew what I was getting into when I got into [Stuyvesant], and I accepted that. It was the school that made me go here in the first place,” she said. “I would not have gone here if it would be a major issue, because I knew had the choice.”

Traces of awkwardness do arise in Michael Zamansky’s Software Development class, however, because both she and her boyfriend are in the class. But “[it’s] okay because [he’s] my dad,” Batya Zamansky said, brushing it off as merely familial intimacy. She often reminds her father about extensions, homeworks, or project due dates that he forgets to send out to his Software Development class. She also described that her father’s presence offers other advantages than just convenience. For example, she learns about fall programming earlier and has an easier time getting program corrections. Plus, it is easier for her to receive parental permission for activities during the day or after school because her father is only minutes away.

Batya Zamansky does, however mention that her father’s presence comes with some immediate embarrassments. For the past two years, for example, during parent visitation days, Mr. Zamansky has stopped by his daughter’s classes. The only problem is that he brings his current class with him.

“Family has always been a priority,” Michael Zamansky said. The Zamanskys spent a lot of time together at home, but in school, Michael Zamansky allows his kids decide how to define their relationship. He thinks it has been working out well, especially because his children are good students. “Overall I think [we’ve] got an amazing dynamic,” he said.

Michael Zamansky did admit that before the family was sure how things would work out, there was one particularly odd incident. When Batya Zamansky had a Rowing Club competition, she asked her father, who was also the faculty advisor of the club, to attend. However, she was reluctant to invite her father because she wasn’t sure what the other rowers would think. However, all of them were excited that Michael Zamansky would be coming on their trip. “That’s when I knew the dynamic would be great,” Michael Zamansky said.

With a large amount of alumni and two current students at Stuyvesant, Batya Zamansky feels there is some sort of Zamansky legacy at Stuyvesant, especially after hearing stories about her relatives at the school as a child. Michael Zamansky, however, feels differently, focusing his pride on the network of computer science alumni from Stuyvesant. “I don’t think the legacy part amounts to much,” he said. “I’m actually prouder of the Stuyvesant computer science alumni family—I consider them my legacy and I consider Batya part of it […] Natan, hopefully as well, but we’ll see what he decides to do over the next two years.”

Having siblings and a parent at the school has certainly made the Zamanskys’ experience at Stuyvesant unique. For example, it opens up possibilities like Natan and Michael Zamansky biking to school together or Batya and Michael Zamansky performing a duet at Open Mic. “It has been a gift to be able to see both of them develop and grow on a daily basis over these years,” Michael Zamansky said.