I spent my Christmas break at home in Ottawa with my immediate family, and besides several cameos made by my friends, my holiday was quiet. However, in the past it has not been as tranquil. I am thinking specifically of my first Christmas after I had started university. That was when I found myself the centre of attention at family gatherings. Since I am the oldest child among my relatives, they all wanted to know how my university experience was going. Inevitably, everyone asked me the same question, “What are you studying?” At that point in my university career, I figured being vague was the best way to explain the Humanities. I told my aunt, uncle and cousins that my program is a mixture of political science, literature, philosophy and the creative arts. When I continued to receive confused looks, I simply listed some of the books we were studying and that satisfied everyone enough to move on to another topic.

Now when I need to explain the Humanities program to someone, I tend to rely upon a subset of phrases that my friends and I have unconsciously developed for those types of situations.  We casually insert names like Plato, Socrates, Euripides and Shelley into conversations because that is the easiest way to explain ourselves to other people. We study thoughts, ideas and theories. We study people, places and things. We study the world, human culture and everything in between. I thought this was a grand way of describing the program until I read Montaigne. Over the break I was catching up on some reading when I stumbled across this passage in Montaigne’s collection of essays: “We know how to say, ‘This is what Cicero said’…But what have we got to say?” Those words made me pause because, over the past three years, I have been telling people about what I am learning but that is really only half of what the Humanities is all about.

The Humanities program is not about parroting; it is about discovering. Some of us connect with Plato more than Aristotle and we take the time to understand why we have different preferences. The key part of the program for me is the emphasis on self-reflection and the importance of interpretation. Yes, there are right and wrong answers, especially when it comes to our exams, but there is a bigger picture in the Humanities program. In the end, it is not specifically about the knowledge you have:  dates and terms can be memorized and some peoples’ brains understand philosophical concepts better than others.

The Humanities is about how you apply knowledge to your life. In our program we learn a great deal, but all of that knowledge serves little purpose if we do not recognize how best to use it. We want to be better people, and though at times we may sound a touch pretentious, I guarantee you we are simply trying to figure out how best to apply our knowledge to the world around us. Sometimes we decide to rant on the bus about the merits of Greek gods and goddesses versus those of the Romans, and sometimes we sit and listen to the same piece of opera consecutively over four days until we feel more connected to it. We have all of this knowledge and we want to share it. So, the next time I explain the program to someone I will add this tidbit:  we learn about other peoples’ ideas in order to learn about our world and ourselves. Yes, we learn for the sake of learning, but also for the sake of acting, moving forward and making progress.

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Why did you choose �Ӱ�ԭ��:

I chose �Ӱ�ԭ�� because of the Bachelor of Humanities program. It’s a unique learning environment that allows me to stretch my mind to its limits and so far it has exceeded my personal expectations of a university experience.

Why do you recommend �Ӱ�ԭ�� to prospective students:

My experience as a Raven has been chock full of happy memories. I found my second home at �Ӱ�ԭ�� and I think many other students will too!

What are your post-graduate plans:

After graduation I hope to pursue a Masters degree as well as a Doctoral degree. As to where I hope to study, that’s a secret; however, I shall say that I will hopefully go abroad to complete my formal education.

What clubs/events/athletics/extra-curricular activities do you participate in at �Ӱ�ԭ��?

I’m a member of �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s chapter of the international fraternity Alpha Omicron Pi, and the College of the Humanities Formal Committee. I currently write for The Charlatan and HerCampus �Ӱ�ԭ��. I also work for the Student Experience Office and the Student Academic Success Centre.

Where is your favourite place to hang out on campus?

The Humanities lounge in Paterson Hall.

Where is the best place to eat on campus?

Mike’s Place because of its engaging atmosphere and food selection.

What is the most interesting class you have taken at �Ӱ�ԭ��?

This is an impossible question to answer, because every class that I have taken thus far has taught me something. I always seem to leave each of my classes feeling both knowledgeable and ignorant of the world. I think education serves to show us how much there is in this universe and how we can never know everything, but everyone can learn something if they apply themselves.

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One of the most telling stories that a member of the College of the Humanities can relate is how they discovered the Humanities (Great Books) program…

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