War on Liberal Arts
Andrea Fuller wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal, 11/3/15, titled “Parents' Fears Confirmed: Liberal Arts Students Earn Less”. She based her conclusions on statistics of lower income students (15% of the population of college students, ignoring the other 85%). This is like saying that the Stanford Band is a good representation of other college bands -- or, that the fog in San Francisco in July is a good representation of the climate in the rest of the country.
Yes, it is obvious that your specialized college major is a good indicator of your 1st job in that specialized field -- but, for your 2nd or 3rd job, not so much. You need to be able to adapt, and that takes the ability to think outside of the box -- a strength that is nurtured in the Liberal Arts environment -- unlike the teachings in the highly specialized majors.
Who would have guessed that a young Black man who majored in Liberal Arts and began his career in a low paying "non-profit" after college would become President? We live in a complicated -- fast paced -- ever changing -- world and need to be equipped for the surprises in life!
December 3, 2015