Extra Credit Blog

As my year in Humanities core comes to an end, I know all that I have learned will stay with me, for unlike any other subject, the humanities takes into consideration the individual history of humans, rather than the collective experience (although we do talk about that also). This makes it so that history is personal, and something that you can connect to on multiple levels. I am especially glad that we had the topic of war, for with all the crazy things happening in the world right now it is beneficial to understand the humanist elements of conflicts (Because really, aren't all conflicts just human interactions?). The topics we have covered have been very diverse in meaning and significance, but each one brought with it an individual lesson. While It may be that I have become more Anti-War, it isn't necessarily because I was told that wars are terrible by the teachers, but in uncovering the truth about the dynamics of war, one realizes how terrible it actually is. I can only hope that people all around the world are able to receive such an education of war, for like the bubble gum cards said, "to know the horrors of war is to want peace". One of the most important things that I have learnt is that History is very much alive, and that we are able ti interact with it and have discussions about it in a way I never thought was possible. Having a diverse group of people to discuss topics with as well as TA's from many different backgrounds helped me not only understand the content better, but also appreciate other's life experiences and realize that we all live on this planet together, but experience very different situations. I also think that is important to have in life, to understand that everyone is an individual, with their own unique talents and flaws.

I think that Humanities Core has made me more open, and more interested to hear others opinions, in order to form my own. Learning from great professors, which I think is a key to making Humcore so successful, has really set the standard high for future classes that have anything to do with History, Politics, Art, or Philosophy. Carol Burke is an amazing woman and I am very glad I got the chance to be in a program run by her, and was honored to have a few conversations with her.

When coming into contact with any social conflict I will now be able to employ a multitude of tools to research topics in order to find information, and present it clearly with others when given the opportunity. When they say that Education is truly powerful, they are not only talking about scientific discoveries that have been made, or advancements in technology, they are talking about pure intellect. Being able to teach yourself and come to your own conclusions and present your ideas clearly to others using logic and reason as well as humanistic values is of utmost importance in the modern world and I am forever grateful I decided to take Humanities core.