Column:

A 'major' cause for concern

By Ryan Beck

Published May 9, 2008

Colleges have a major problem.

It’s not global warming or the economy or even the war. It’s a different type of problem: a “major” problem.

Everyone knows that majors are subjects of interest that people choose to pursue in hopes of becoming proficient in that specific educational voice. The dilemma I am describing is the elitist attitude attached to some majors. I am double majoring in communication and english, and it doesn’t entitle me to think I am better than anyone. I attend a school that is littered with journalism majors. These people come from the ends of the earth to study journalism at this university and almost everyone was “pre-J” at one point in time.

When people go out to parties and inevitably meet new people a popular question to ask is “What’s your major?” People ask this question to gather some kind of background on the person to understand where they are coming from. This is natural and all fine and dandy.

I recently attended a party and was in one of these introductory level conversations with a girl that I knew but was getting to know better and some guy that clearly had a thing for her and was more or less trying to interrupt anything I said. Just so you know, I was not hitting on her.

Nevertheless this behemoth was guarding the lady like a watchdog even though she was not interested in him if not for the reason that he was in fact a dog.

This capable female asked me what my major is. I proceeded to laugh and explain to her that I would tell her my major, but I find it silly to ask such a question when it never helps either party explain or learn anything about each other because majors are, for example, narrow enough to tell you that a person likes to talk but broad enough that you will not know what they like to talk about.

I told her my areas of study. The Saint Bernard peaked his ears. They were both journalism majors. The capable female smiled, she asked me what made me choose communication. The Saint Bernard interjected, “You can’t ask comm majors why they choose comm and not journalism because it makes them feel bad!” Herein lies our major problem.

Regardless of the reason a person chooses what they choose to study, we are all in school and in this we are all alike. Some people confuse majors to mean less of what someone is interested in and more of how hard they like to work or whether or not they are smart. This is not the case. An agricultural education, fisheries and wildlife sciences, or economics major is just as capable of becoming whatever they want to be as a nursing or social work major. Majors should not denote the value of a person.

This Saint Bernard directly insulted me because of what I have chosen to study. Yes, I could choose to study journalism, but that would not benefit me, just as it would not benefit me to become pre-med (it would undoubtedly become less of a benefit to my would-be patients).

This problem, a major problem, can be resolved only when arrogance and elitism are taken out of the mix. It is something that may be around for a very long time, but for now only one party can understand what is right for you, and that is you.

You may be happy to find out that the dog went home empty handed to eat his kibble and play with his own chew-toy.