The Advantage of Liberal Arts

Ellie Toth

Last week, I walked into my Theology class to find President Adam Weinberg sitting in the desk two away from mine.  I think this was the closest that I had been to him and the only time that I had seen him not standing on a stage, giving a speech.  Without an introduction or an explanation as to why President Weinberg was there, Dr. Woodyard began class.  As we went on with our usual discussion, which consists of Dr. Woodyard presenting a statement from the book and us trying to dissect what the author means, President Weinberg causally sat and observed.  I almost forgot that he was there until Dr. Woodyard stopped class to acknowledge his presence. President Weinberg began with how he had been on the road the past few weeks talking to Denison Alumni who still talked about their Intro to Theology class with Dr. Woodyard.  He said that he had heard so much about this class that he had to come see it for himself.  After observing our discussion, President Weinberg expressed how impressed he was with the class and how it was an example of what liberal arts really means.  From his point of view, liberal arts means learning from not only content but from each other too.  

After class, I started thinking about why I love Denison so much and why I appreciate a liberal arts education.  I realized that what had just happened is exactly the reason.  If I went to a big state school, I would never sit next to my President in a class. If I went to a big state school, I would probably know the name of my President and that’s about it. By having him sit in on our class and being able to hear his understanding of liberal arts, I appreciated the education that I’m getting at Denison much more.  

Liberal arts isn’t just about PowerPoint lectures, learning for a TA or sitting in a class of 300 and being on Facebook in the back.  A liberal arts education is the opportunity to learn from other’s opinions, learning how to test your theories and thoughts, and forming relationships with your professors.  Denison wants us to take advantage of the fact that we can casually chat with our President, and that our professors will come in anytime to help us because they want to see us succeed.  President Weinberg is the perfect fit for our school because he knows just what Denison emphasizes and continues to emphasize it.  So as Denison students, we should participate in group discussions, become close with our professors, and appreciate the personal education that we are getting.