Shreya Iha LAYOUT EDITOR Illinois Institute Technology has seen a recent decrease in the options offered as a mandatory humanities or social scienc- es course. Yamen Alshawaf posted on the ‘Illinois Institute of Technology: Admitted Undergraduate’ page on Facebook, “Does anyone know who is responsible for the humanities classes in IIT, because there is nothing interesting offered this spring se— mester and only 4 classes are offered (300+) of which, two of them are already closed... What is this?!” Iacob Wall adds, “I had registered for the Graphic Novels course for Spring 2015. But I can’t even find that class any- more. Can they remove a class just like that? I can’t even register for Humanities classes that interest me anymore.” The lack of class options is a grow- ing concern for the students at the univer- sity. In response to this problem, Brandon Simons is currently working on a project to introduce a course related to material stud- ies as a Humanities course, as a member of the Student Government Organization (SGA). Does his major or specialization relate to material studies in any direct or indirect way? No. One of the responses he received while talking about the possibility of introducing the course was that the Hu- manities department is removing some of the existing courses due to a cut in budgets Tuesday, November 18th, 2014 | TechNews for the department, therefore there is no possibility of adding a Humanities course. The reason for the budget cuts was said to be the diversion of energy and funds towards the technological aspect of the school. So what would be the benefits of focusing energy and funds towards the technology aspect of the school? I infer that it is based on the logic that if you’re good at something, then you should strive to be the best at it. This would give one a single primary focus in life. But there is a fine line which exists between focusing on your in— terests and a having tunnel vision. By nar- rowing down the available options in the Humanities course to such an extent, the students are now being geared for tunnel vi— sion. In the consistently evolving and the now hyper-connected world, university graduates cannot simply fall back on their diplomas and single letters on their tran- scripts which define their intelligence. In the everyday decision making process and the work environment, one has to rely on what they know—the knowledge and expe- rience they have or had gained outside their major specific courses matters. Humanities courses would be one component of your overall personal growth because it embeds in you a deeper understanding of human na— ture—why and how people behave the way they do. This skill is constructive in a work environment while interacting with a range of people. Opinions”! Lack of Humanities optionsstifling creativity If focus on technology is the rea- son funding has been cut down for the Hu— manities Department, Digital Humanities should have been considered as an option. Scholars at Stanford University are work- ing on humanities projects using tools like 3-D mapping, geospatial systems, electronic literary analysis, digitization, and advanced visualization techniques in their research. Apart from giving students a deeper understanding of the human thought process and giving them the tools required to analyze difficult situations, what else does humanities do? The human brain has the capacity for an extraordinary level of cre- ativity, which is undermined by the shifting of fine line, which differentiates specializa- tion from a tunnel vision. For students who aim to be the future innovators and leaders in their field, narrowing down their options simply leads to creating a tunnel vision, giv- ing them fewer opportunities for those pos- sible “Eureka” moments. An article in the New York Times by Verlyn Klinkenborg discusses the under- mining of humanities as a course in higher education as well: “The teaching of the hu- manities has fallen on hard times. Under- graduates will tell you that they’re under pressure—from their parents, from the bur- den of debt they incur, from society at large —to choose courses they believe will lead as directly as possible to good jobs. Too often, that means skipping the humanities.” Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask 3 yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Isn’t that what our courses are supposed to be about? A series of progressive options from which we, as de- finers of our own life can choose from, and not a narrow set of pre-defined mandatory classes. I say mandatory, because based on the limited options in humanities and the schedule of courses related to our majors, we do not have much of an option. Humanities as a mode of learning should be and can be so much more than just a set of mandatory readings each stu- dent has to undergo as a rite of passage dur- ing their educational development at Illinois Tech. It is the perfect mode to explore and understand the human experience. A course in another language might help me gain ap- preciation for a different culture. Reading a book about a completely different side of life might help me empathize with people and understand them while assessing situations. Interacting with different materials might give me the joy of experimenting and under— standing them while making their possible application in my own major. As Klinkenborg said, “Writing well isn’t merely a utilitarian skill. It is about de- veloping a rational grace and energy in your conversation with the world around you.” In conclusion: Options matter. Personal growth matters. Humanities cours- es matter.