2008 Woodie Awards
Learn to think outside the box or be square
Megan Lynch
Issue date: 8/4/08 Section: Commentary
College is a time for growth, both academically and socially. Students will take some classes, make new friends and join some student organizations. If you utilize the resources available on campus, anything can be achieved. While all students eventually choose a field of study, they will also be forced to learn about things against their beliefs, both in the classroom and out.
Students will encounter many professors over the course of their academic career. A few of them will become close mentors and confidants in your field of study. However, there will also be many professors who will impose their views upon their students. They will also have to talk about topics you may not agree with. Topics such as gay rights, abortion and gender roles are typical examples of this.
Professor Susie DiVietro teaches anthropology at UConn and encounters many students with different views. While it is rather uncomfortable to sit and listen to things you do not believe, there are ways to make the best of it. DiVietro says she actually enjoys students who voice their alternate opinions "as long as they can back it up." She says this can make for a much more interesting class and brought articles to support her ideas while in college. Nevertheless, there are still some ideas, such as evolution, that students need to learn to pass anthropology, but not necessarily accept.
Another teacher who is familiar with this is Ranita Ray. She works with the sociology department at UConn and says sociology is a part of education that is "completely based on views and opinions." Ray does her best to remain neutral on all topics in order to learn and teach with little disagreement. Similar to DiVietro, Ray is happy to hear differing opinions and will never tell a student their opinion is wrong if they have something to back it up with.
Another thing students struggle with is the idea of liberal and conservative. However, when asked, most people refrain to label themselves as either one.
DiVietro said, "First and foremost, I would call myself a feminist," while Ray said, "If I have to choose, I guess I'm a liberal."
So, while a professor's view may seem extreme or unlike what you are used to, it is important to be careful how you label them. Most importantly, but make sure you know how you would label yourself.
College is a place to broaden your horizons. A piece of advice that both DiVietro and Ray give is to "think outside the box." It is very important to be open to new opinions and views about the world. However, it is more important to apply them to your own beliefs. Do not blindly accept what your professors tell you day after day. Challenge it. Challenge yourself. That is what college is all about.
Staff Columnist Megan Lynch is a 3rd-semester political science major. She can be contacted at Megan.Lynch@UConn.edu.
Students will encounter many professors over the course of their academic career. A few of them will become close mentors and confidants in your field of study. However, there will also be many professors who will impose their views upon their students. They will also have to talk about topics you may not agree with. Topics such as gay rights, abortion and gender roles are typical examples of this.
Professor Susie DiVietro teaches anthropology at UConn and encounters many students with different views. While it is rather uncomfortable to sit and listen to things you do not believe, there are ways to make the best of it. DiVietro says she actually enjoys students who voice their alternate opinions "as long as they can back it up." She says this can make for a much more interesting class and brought articles to support her ideas while in college. Nevertheless, there are still some ideas, such as evolution, that students need to learn to pass anthropology, but not necessarily accept.
Another teacher who is familiar with this is Ranita Ray. She works with the sociology department at UConn and says sociology is a part of education that is "completely based on views and opinions." Ray does her best to remain neutral on all topics in order to learn and teach with little disagreement. Similar to DiVietro, Ray is happy to hear differing opinions and will never tell a student their opinion is wrong if they have something to back it up with.
Another thing students struggle with is the idea of liberal and conservative. However, when asked, most people refrain to label themselves as either one.
DiVietro said, "First and foremost, I would call myself a feminist," while Ray said, "If I have to choose, I guess I'm a liberal."
So, while a professor's view may seem extreme or unlike what you are used to, it is important to be careful how you label them. Most importantly, but make sure you know how you would label yourself.
College is a place to broaden your horizons. A piece of advice that both DiVietro and Ray give is to "think outside the box." It is very important to be open to new opinions and views about the world. However, it is more important to apply them to your own beliefs. Do not blindly accept what your professors tell you day after day. Challenge it. Challenge yourself. That is what college is all about.
Staff Columnist Megan Lynch is a 3rd-semester political science major. She can be contacted at Megan.Lynch@UConn.edu.
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