Matthew Murphy, Campus Carrier Deputy News Editor
I’ve noticed over my time here at Berry that general education is typically frowned upon by most students. Many wish to simply start college taking classes that are applicable to their major; this, however, may not be as good as it seems.
Berry is a liberal arts institution, and this seems to be a concept that goes missed by most. Unlike other colleges and universities, Berry has its own liberal arts curriculum that is centered on the idea that a student can be well-rounded and experience all of the subjects to a certain degree by working the head, heart and hands. This style of education differs from a more vocational style, which limits students to a type of training for a future career.
For some reason or another, modern students seem to choose college as a means of getting the career of their choice. When we limit college to a vocational approach such as this, we are looking at college with a rather selfish approach, neglecting the community of people that surround us. This is because a vocational training is only aimed at helping the student to grow in one way: in their work-place abilities. But a liberal arts education, at least in its true form, is not supposed to make better workers but instead better people.
People are often complaining that this world is a terrible place, and I know that I have complained about it myself, but could the preferred system of higher education in this world be worsening the issues?
Sorry for bringing up Alexis de Tocqueville, but he did write quite a bit about American society. One of the topics that Tocqueville spends time on this in his work, “Democracy in America,” is American individualism, which essentially says that Americans naturally keep to themselves. Though on the surface this may not sound problematic, this individualism can divide societies and crumble nations if it is allowed to spread too far. By focusing too much on a career-centered education, we are focusing on our own personal gains and neglecting the rest of society, heightening the issue of individualism.
As stated before, a strictly vocational form of education limits one to the training of the head and possibly the hands (though no guarantee). The heart component is not usually included in the vocational education, but it is this component that can be so worthwhile.
The heart component of a Berry education teaches a student to go beyond themselves, a concept that is largely neglected in the first world. When one truly goes beyond themselves, they see an entire world that is suffering. They see people being killed based on their ethnicity or race. They see disease consuming people that do not have access to modern medical care. They see oppressive government that strip people of the rights that we consider necessary in the Western world.
We have a chance here at Berry to have an education that equips us in several ways. Our heads will be filled with knowledge of all different types, making us be able to think on our toes and be ready to think through any situation that we are faced with. Our hands will be skilled and ready to perform whatever task necessary, and our hearts will care enough to drive us to make real change.
This heart aspect of our education can propel us to change the world, but we first must go beyond ourselves to truly care, and a Berry education can be helpful in this process. I encourage you all to embrace your Berry education and see that there is a bigger world than just you and I, a world that needs our head, heart, and hands.