Aspects of the Liberal Arts in a Day at Carlow

Sometimes the disparate events in a day fit together and tell a compelling story. Upon reflection, three things today wove together in a really interesting way to remind me of what a unique privilege it is to work at a place like Carlow University.

First, the first Tuesday of the month at Carlow University the noon hour is designated as the Common Hour—a time for faculty and staff to gather to reflect on a significant topic, idea, or aspect of our mission and values. Today Mary Burke spoke about her work with the Project to End HumanTrafficking. The statistics and realities of these crimes against vulnerable individuals are startling for those of us who don’t encounter this information on a regular basis. But the work that is being done on a variety of fronts is inspiring and the idea that a Carlow education is one that prepares students to take on these kinds of social justice issues was a powerful reminder to me of the importance of our kind education.

Second, today the Office of Mercy Heritage partnered with the Carlow Art Gallery to bring in renowned poet Sam Hazo to read from his book on Pittsburgh along with the themed exhibit “Kane/Qualters: My Pittsburgh.” His reflections and readings were wide ranging from the humorous to the philosophical including reflections about what makes a university education so significant. He ended with his reflections on how we as a nation deal with national tragedies. He read his poem “September 11, 2001” as well as taking us to the day when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and describing how that day unfolded for him and many others. Though I had a full plate of meetings and obligations today, sitting and listening to Sam’s stories and poetry was time well spent.

Third, on the way home today I started into A Practical Education: Why Liberal Arts Majors Make Great Employees, a book recommend by one of our history faculty. In this book Randall Stross tells the stories of numerous humanities majors from Stanford who have gone on to demonstrate the value of the liberal arts as preparing them for all kinds of career opportunities. This book is timely in that we at Carlow are seeking to find new ways to express to students, parents, and employers the value that a liberal arts education adds and the ways in which it prepares students to be creative, engaged, problem solvers and leaders who are able to adapt to change and to be lifelong learners who can face new challenges with skill and confidence. Stross’s book looks to have some good insights to add to our current conversation within the humanities faculty in particular.

From addressing societal issues, to using artistic talent to reflect on one’s place and time, to thinking deeply about the value of the liberal arts as preparation for a good and successful life, this was a day that reminded me of the great environment that I have the privilege to be part of each day.