Students critique Gen-Ed program

With the fall semester about to begin, students open up about their dissatisfaction with Temple’s General Education course requirements.

While reuniting with friends and local festivities have students excited for the start of another school year, some students will face General Education classes that are disliked by many of their peers.

Insomnia Cookies still charges a buck and a quarter for one cookie. Students fear a class overlooked by an advisor that they needed to be able to graduate in four years. Touchy fire alarms still interrupt the warmest mid-winter showers.

These issues have surfaced in the student discourse for years, but they are merely whispers compared to the bellowing over the general education program.

Carly Walsh, sophomore hospitality and tourism management major, believes the program wastes valuable time due to systematic flaws.

“It’s stupid that we have to take a U.S. Society as well as a World Society,” Walsh said. “The U.S. is part of the world so they should be able to incorporate it into the same class.”

Matthew Hirst, junior psychology major, said he feels the effectiveness of the Arts requirements is underwhelming.

“Most of the art classes are about art history with nothing that stimulates creativity,” Hirst said. “They pretty much just bore students. Gen-eds should try to stimulate creativity in students so they can figure out what they want to do in their lives.”

The most criticized gen-ed mentioned by students is Science & Technology, which might not come as a surprise considering the program requires two of those courses, which is more than any other gen-ed.

Elizabeth Crossley, sophomore marketing major, doesn’t see science appearing anywhere in her future.

“We should not have to take two sciences,” Crossley said. “Just taking one is stupid for me, because never in my life will I need to use the information.”

Tyler Cameron, junior public relations major, echoes Crossley’s sentiments.

“I don’t remember anything I learned,” Cameron said. “It’s not even pertinent to anything I’m studying.”

John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.

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