Pinguino Italiano

I can come off as smug every once in awhile. I have voiced a conceited tone towards others before. When hasn’t anyone stuck their nose in the air with the one eyebrow-raised expression, filling the room with their giant ego allowing the rest of us to conceive sheer hatred towards their cocky, non-sense behavior? I’ve known that to happen everyday. All you want to do is take a needle to their blimp-sized ego and watch them deflate miserably. It happens. We’re human.

By Tiffany Gilbert

Editor in Chief

I can come off as smug every once in awhile. I have voiced a conceited tone towards others before. When hasn’t anyone stuck their nose in the air with the one eyebrow-raised expression, filling the room with their giant ego allowing the rest of us to conceive sheer hatred towards their cocky, non-sense behavior? I’ve known that to happen everyday. All you want to do is take a needle to their blimp-sized ego and watch them deflate miserably. It happens. We’re human.

Currently, we’re in college, on the fast-track to professionalism in the field and study of our choice. Does that type of freedom possibly have an effect on some cockiness towards the liberal arts core? I always hear a bit of jibber jabber about this class and about that class that “has nothing to do with my major.” It’s a common complaint and it can be rough sitting through a western cultures class when it does not spark your interest or have any significant meaning to you whatsoever. I agree, a sociology major and western cultures certainly do not go together like spaghetti and meatballs, but speaking metaphorically, a sprinkle of western cultures can be like the parmesan cheese. Your taste buds aren’t screaming for more, but it sure spices up the flavor.

There are some majors at SHU that can technically be completed in four semesters, minus the liberal arts core. Since the liberal arts core is required, students must remain here to complete those requirements in order to graduate. Yes, it would be so nice to be able to complete a degree in two years, rack up only half the debt and be on your merry little way by age 20. Since, we’re at a liberal arts university with specific requirements; we may as well be optimistic about it.

As for the foreign language requirement, we are not being asked to become fluent in a second tongue. We are being asked to learn a brief background and language of another culture. Everyone struggles with learning a new language and it is okay to come up with an excuse for not being able to learn it. For example, mine is: “I’m so good with English, I’m immune to other languages.” I still try to speak Italian and continue to learn it, regardless of whether I’m unable to ever visit Rome. One day when I’m in an elevator and someone says, “Buon giorno,” to me, I can reply back and that could possibly be the start of a new, life-long friendship.

Since, I am a journalism major, I sometimes think, “What do I possibly need biology and American history for?” If I ever do need them, it won’t be until I have a real job writing an article about a Civil War veteran’s great-great-great-great grandson who still preaches his grampa Henry’s heroic story to colleges and universities across the country, right? Wrong. I needed both subjects just the other day, when my roommate finally agreed to take me to the zoo, where she so conveniently works with my favorite animal of all times, penguins. For my two-month belated birthday present, she took me to the back of the aquarium where Katy, a fellow penguin keeper and supervisor, brought out a macaroni penguin named Mickey. I didn’t know what a macaroni penguin was. I thought they only came in one kind, the emperor penguin. Macaroni penguins have these little yellow tassel feathers on the side of their heads. This type of penguin was named by English explorers who saw the species and dubbed them macaroni which resembled the hats worn in the 18th century. (If you start singing “Yankee Doodle,” you may get more of a visual in your mind).

The liberal arts core has its negatives and positives. In the long run, you’ll probably end up being grateful for all of those culture classes you had to sit through while staring at the immobile insect on the whiteboard. I even stare off into space in my religion classes contemplating, “Cafeteria or Cove?” I’ve had nine years of Sunday school classes and now another semester? However, having acquired adequate knowledge about various topics will be more beneficial to you than being an expert in one. Also, if you think about it, liberal arts is actually withholding you from entering the real world where you have to find a career and actually be successful to survive. The liberal arts core may not benefit you in the near future, but give it time to run its course. Ciao!