12A: Well-rounded

          If you had asked me what the Liberal Arts Program at Southern was a few months ago, I wouldn’t even have an answer for you.  It sounded so complicated when I first heard the term.  Once I started college here at Southern I started to slowly understand what it meant.  I understood that all students had to take a set of required courses to fill the Liberal Arts requirement.  At first, I’m not going to lie; I thought it was a little stupid to waste a whole year on courses that have nothing to do with my major. Over the past week we have had some in depth discussions and readings about the program and my feelings towards it have changed.  Now that I have a better understanding I can see the true value of the Liberal Arts Program.

          The real value of a Liberal Arts education is to help make every student as well-rounded as possible.  In an article that I read called “Liberal Arts Education and the Know-nothing Bandwagon” it said that education is more than training and job creation, it is about developing critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.  I agree with what this article said because if you really think about it these abilities that the article refers to, can all be used in a number of careers, not just specific ones.  Employers these days want a well-rounded person not only skilled in their specific major, but also skilled in the ability to communicate and solve problems on their own. 

          The Liberal Arts Program here at Southern provides students with a basic knowledge of many subjects, not just one specifically.  I think that this program also helps students explore different paths.  Most students come into college thinking they know exactly what they want to do, but then they realize they don’t like the major they thought they would have.  The Liberal Arts program lets students take classes they would not have taken on their own, and sometimes students end up finding a subject that they really love.  I personally, am happy to be at a school with this program.  I know that when I graduate college I will not only be skilled in my specific major, but I will also have a little bit of knowledge in many other subjects.  I will have to ability to communicate and problem solve on my own because of my back ground knowledge.  

“Liberal arts is founded on a whole person, developing a person athletically and academically.  Liberal arts is going international.  The 21^st century is one of entrepreneurship and innovation.  There will not be fixed careers.  The liberal arts teaches you to think outside the box” –Rebecca Chopp President of Swarthmore College.