Informal Writing #7 Kimi Howell

Option #2

Interviewer: Hello and welcome to today’s show of “The Future: College Edition”. Today we will discuss whether the Humanities should be requirement for college students. We also have two guest who will help discuss this topic; first we have the author of “I wasted four years of my life- don’t make the same mistake” Belinda Parmar. *Parmar walks in and sits down* Belinda Parmar has a degree in French and Spanish and decided later on that she should have got a degree in the technology field. The second guest is Gordon Hutner, one of the authors of “The Real Humanities Crisis Is Happening at Public Universities.” *Hutner walks out and sits down*Hutner, the question of the day is should the Humanities be a requirement for college students?

Hutner: Yes, I believe if every student took one humanities class then that would increase the degrees in Humanities. Some students are not familiar with the humanities so they do not know if they want to major in it. If more students take even one class it will also increase the spending of the Humanities and colleges will not suspend their Humanities program. Taking a class in Spanish or French will help if they decided to study abroad.

Parmar: Yes, taking French will help if they study aboard or visit but if you think about it, more people speak English now than before. If students do choose to study abroad there will probably be at least one person who speaks English.  By my personal experience, stated in my article, employers today do not look at the Humanities as a degree. They want more from a person, they want a technology degree not a Humanities degree. Why would college students waste their time learning Spanish when the students are never going to use it? It is a waste of time for everyone.

Hutner: There are also jobs for Humanities degrees too. The first Morrill Act in 1862, the nation pasted a land-grant universities, promoted “liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and profession in life.” This GI Bill also expanded the access to a middle-class life. Edward Humes stated that the bill made possible the education of multiple Nobel Prize winners, tens of thousands writers and artists but more importantly millions of citizens who brought benefit of their liberal arts educations to all endeavor. So not only having a degree in technology will get you a job, there are lot of jobs out there for students.

Interviewer:  Hutner, you said in your article that “employers see humanities education as important does not mean that they are eager to hire majors in philosophy or anthropology. We must also be responsive to the fact that the cost of higher education makes it impossible for many students to focus on one humanities subject to the exclusion of all else.” Parmar, what do you think about this statement?

Parmar: I did get a degree in Humanities and when I got an interview, the employer asked “It's great that you speak foreign languages, but what else do you do?” Today, people need more than just speaking a language, they need more than one thing. But because I have a degree in Humanities, I believe is helps me with my work life, interacting with people. People think because I am a women, I couldn’t major in technology and I found out to late that I actually could.

Hutner: The question is should college students take humanities, not major in it. I believe they should. I think we got off topic with the subject of jobs. Yes, jobs are important when deciding what students what to major in; but students need to certain all subjects: math, technology, science, humanities, etc. I think students should at least take one class to find out if that is the right fit.  Like I said in the beginning, this will increase college budget and increase class sizes. Yes, a person with technology degree is always going to be needed but we also need writers, artist and translators.

Interviewer: Time is almost up. Is there anything you want say before we end the show?

Hutner: I will summarize what I said. Students should take Humanities, it will increase the college budget but it will also make the college money. There are colleges out there that do not have humanities at all because they think it is a waste of money. Just one class!  That is all I am saying for students to take. One class could change their perceptive on what they want to major in.

Parmar: From past experience, I wasted four years of my life studying French and Spanish. Now in days, all people care about is technology. “When is the next iPhone coming out?” “My car can call my parents with me just speaking to it.” People do not care about humanities, you don’t hear someone say on the street “I’m so glad I’m a philosopher?” No you don’t. Students need to look in the future and see what best for them. If they want to major in the humanities then go for it, but just do your research before you decided.

Interviewer: You both made valid points on the subject. Thank you for coming in today, and thank you our audience for watching The Future: College Edition. Have a wonderful day.