The prompt for this third essay asks, “What are the conversations that are dominating the public sphere today? How might a liberal education prepare you to participate in them, now, or in the future?”.
One possible approach to this prompt would be to answer that political conversations are dominating the public sphere today. Ones based on advocacy for equal rights and which party demonstrates stronger citizenship. Almost everything today is made into a political issue. A liberal education may allow us to participate in these political conversations by allowing us to expand our knowledge on key topics and allow ourselves to be exposed to different perspectives. This will allow us to be informed citizens with knowledge in a variety of areas, which will make for productive debates. For this approach, referring to Scheuers points on citizenship, Murphys strong democratic views, and Coates’ experiences at Howard and expanding his knowledge would help make a solid argument.
A second possible approach is to discuss the conversations based on fears and worries that have arisen due to both the election, and the COVID-19 pandemic. People are worried due to our fear of the unknown and being stuck inside, while never experiencing anything like this before. Schools all over the world shut down, parents were either left unemployed or working from home, having to stay home with their children. Some citizens feel as though their rights are being inflicted upon due to the mandatory legislation of mask-wearing. As a senior who was forced to leave high school in March with no official “last day,” and as a first-year student coming into college, I could speak largely on the many aspects that have me and other students worried. An election on top of everything else did not help, as citizens were already unsettled with all of the events that have occurred in what feels like a very fast 8 months now. The liberal arts could prepare us for these conversations by opening students up to multiple perspectives that allow them to communicate a sense of empathy and connection. For texts, there could be references to the CDC stories of the 1918 pandemic, and about the multiple fears that were stacked upon people at that time (WWI and pandemic, strong fear of the unknown – separation of families, no social media, relate to today). Other texts to refer could be Scheuers discussions on citizenship, and Newstoks advice to students to engage in as much reading and information as possible, allowing students to make informed and logical opinions in a world that feels all-but-logical right now. Coates’ document may be useful because he offers perspectives into multiple diverse backgrounds, and how struggles differ based on race and poverty, which is also true with COVID-19 and the dire need for individuals who have less and are discriminated to see a change in power in the government; a government for the people in a time where some homes can only rely on the government to maintain a livable lifestyle.
