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| Natalie Smith Class of 2016 |
By Natalie Smith, Class of 2016
As an English student, I’m always interested when I come across articles defending the study of the humanities, but I have to admit that the enormous number of articles makes me wonder why the humanities needs to be defended so vehemently. If it’s truly worth studying, why does it need to be on the defense so often?
As an English student, I’m always interested when I come across articles defending the study of the humanities, but I have to admit that the enormous number of articles makes me wonder why the humanities needs to be defended so vehemently. If it’s truly worth studying, why does it need to be on the defense so often?
I have to remember that often, the humanities are neglected due to the more immediate and tangible benefits of studying the sciences. What’s forgotten is that the value of the sciences does not belittle the value of the humanities. Philosophy, art, literature, music, language, and other related pursuits are modes of expressing the human condition. There is significant power in stories, and the humanities allow us to experience stories in several forms. They allow us to relate to humans of the past, understand the people of the present, and imagine those of the future, providing us with the essential tools to appreciate the world from different points of view. In fact, it is hard to imagine a promising future in which the humanities aren’t thriving.
Literature has always been the aspect of the humanities that has drawn me in most strongly. Like many other McConnell Scholars, I’ve always been a reader, and a relaxing day for me always equates to having a good book in hand. However, while engaging in literature is fun, and certainly knowing a great deal about a lot of different books is an enviable trait (and handy for any fancy soirees at which you may find yourself), studying the humanities means more than providing fuel for highbrow small talk. Interestingly, reading is both an introspective and communal exercise. You can read to escape the world, but you also become part of a community of readers and experiences. In learning more about the experiences of others, you learn more about yourself and expand your horizons.
It’s important to note that studying the humanities certainly doesn’t make you a good person by default. In fact, I think I can say that often, the reverse is true, and it can result in pedantic snobbery. However, as we have learned in the McConnell Scholars Program, I think the study of the humanities does provide you with a “key”—a key to either the valuable or the superficial, but at best, a method of unlocking the things worth celebrating in life: compassion, kindness, courage, and truth, among other virtues.
I have never regretted my decision to study English as an undergraduate at U of L. In large part, I have the McConnell Center to thank for my decision. It reminded me that I wanted my college education to be more than simply learning how to get a job. The humanities, I have found, offers its students the capacity for empathy and thoughtfulness, appreciation and foresight. As for me, I can only hope to choose to right key to unlock these ideas and set myself in the right direction.
Natalie Smith, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar studying English and political science.
Natalie Smith, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar studying English and political science.