Exerpts...

" So I’ve learned that a Liberal Arts education is meant to promote a well-rounded student. It’s a student who has a global worldview and responsibility. There is coherence across all disciplines because… it’s necessary to understand context. It’s as if Liberal arts is dedicated to creating a contextual education. And this is why I feel I have loved this so much. To me there are connections across all subjects. It’s how I can justify being a member of a choir, working in the theater and being a pre-med student. I try to integrate my longing to build community into all that I do. That is my justification..."

" I think being a good citizen comes hand in hand with being a good person. They are analogous terms in my mind; those who choose to create the best image of themselves will also create links with other people around them. It’s conversations in this class introducing the best of American citizens that inspire us to strive towards qualities of greatness. I’m especially drawn to figures like Jane Addams, or Hutchinson, or even Jefferson, who have these ideal societies and try to build communities through not only thoughts but by addressing small problems as well. Through discussing their mindsets we have seen the shifting framework of Americanism. I identify with these mindsets because they are fluid and quixotic to some degrees. But it’s fundamentally American approach that is exemplified in the liberal arts; it’s this approach that I cling to. An American has the freedom to create the best image of themselves, throughout the centuries has been given the communities to do so, and in the modern age has evolved with societal standards. Then we look forward to how our past has contributed to our happiness, and how our future may draw us into bliss."