Students benefit from liberal arts core classes

“At its best, a liberal arts education prepares a student to be a lifetime learner,” said Franklin and Marshall College professor Sanford Pinkster in a brief commentary on March 6 concerning the ever-growing significance of receiving a liberal arts education versus other means.

By Jessie Krehlik

Staff Writer

“At its best, a liberal arts education prepares a student to be a lifetime learner,” said Franklin and Marshall College professor Sanford Pinkster in a brief commentary on March 6 concerning the ever-growing significance of receiving a liberal arts education versus other means.

Pinkster went on to say that “[a] trained mind and a willingness to pursue ideas wherever they might lead us is essential to a democracy.”
Pinkster is not alone in with his view of liberal arts education.

Associate Professor of English Michael Arnzen concurs: “As a creative writer I learn more from the world than from a writing class.” Arnzen believes that liberal arts degrees give students a more well-rounded learning experience. It helps students learn to think outside the box. In terms of educating at a liberal arts school, Arnzen said that liberal arts create openness between colleagues that one would never find in, for example, a research institute.

Here, Arnzen says he would not hesitate to share a story with a math professor—something most likely unheard of at a research university, where professors are sometimes too absorbed with their own hypotheses to even acknowledge different fields of study from their own. “To me, [a liberal arts education] is a way to live the life of a mind.”

Although students often complain about taking their liberal arts core classes, many seem to still see the value in earning a liberal arts Degree. Freshman Jessie Giannopoulos said, “They constantly tell us that it’s going to be an edge over someone who just takes courses dealing with their major, and when you think about it, it’s pretty logical thinking. Even when trying to get into college, they want a ‘well-rounded individual.’ So, why shouldn’t employers be expecting the same?”

Junior Rebecca Bernstein agrees with Giannopoulos in terms of employers hiring Liberal Arts degree graduates. She finds her liberal arts background to be very beneficial when job searching. “There have been several jobs that I have applied for where I was told that it gave me an edge over other applicants.”

Freshman Sara Moffa also has no complaints about Seton Hill being a liberal arts institute. In terms of taking her core courses, Moffa said, “I enjoy the variety of classes, because it’s not all writing or problems; it’s a mix of both. I also do feel it will make me generally more rounded due to the experience, and it is a huge help for a lot of kids who are undecided, because having the variety could help put them in a career path that’s right for them.

Regardless of whether or not we see the value of earning liberal arts degrees in today’s society, the future looks very bright for these students. One of the most beneficial aspects of a liberal arts education is that it provides its students with essential communication skills that may not be available in non-liberal arts institutions. By taking courses in fields unrelated to a student’s chosen discipline, he or she will have a better chance to relate to people in their near future. The liberal arts degree continues to open multiple doors for its students, but as Arnzen said, the most important benefit from a liberal arts education lies within oneself and how much he or she choose to put into education.