Ink-stained
jcanseko@theguidon.com
Seems like we have become quite the school to beat.
By the end of first semester alone, aside from the Blue Eagles reclaiming their crown and four other teams garnering first-place finishes, the Ateneo had a strong showing in THE-QS World University Rankings.
This year, the Ateneo basked in the glory of its 254th place–a whopping 197 notches higher than last year’s 451st ranking. UP, from 398 to 276, followed close behind as the second-ranked university in the Philippines.
The Ateneo also secured a place in the Top 100 Arts and Humanities institutions worldwide for the first time, ranking number 79. Compared to other schools whose humanities and arts courses have taken a backseat, the School of Humanities in the Ateneo proudly offers 48 units of the core curriculum, which is more than half of the total core’s percentage. These units are distributed into courses in languages, literature, philosophy, and theology.
As much as this could possibly grant us bragging rights, more so for SOH students like myself, I found the results a little disheartening.
Though the THE-QS Rankings recognized the Ateneo as having one of the top Arts and Humanities institutions, the SOH is still far too underrated in the Loyola Schools. While the university prides itself with its hold on the humanities, which is at the heart of the Atenean education, the arts and humanities is still struggling to be appreciated.
It’s not unusual that those who have taken core subjects found it a burden to be studying Marcel and his metaphysical unease, or those who have landed into fine arts electives may have found painting or writing poetry a waste of time.
In recent years, the humanities and arts have dealt with a tremendous decline, judging from the over-all decrease of students, faculty and yes, attention.
With Bachelor of Arts degrees generally attracting less income than say, courses in science and management, it comes as no surprise that most people lean towards careers that are more… financially rewarding, if not stable.
One could dismiss the fall of humanities and the arts as a sign of the times. It could very well be the effect of heightened globalization, advancement in technology, and the continuing worldwide economic crisis.
But to those who argue that the humanities and the arts is an impractical field to get into, consider entertaining second thoughts.
Philosophical and theological reflections have become tools that equip students in questioning society, seeking answers, challenging themselves and the people around them. The study of literature and art enhances creativity and allows for the broadening of one’s point of view–seeing the world from a multicultural perspective. Classes in English, Filipino and modern languages train students to adopt critical thinking and practice effective communication.
In fact, various contemporary issues are often times best resolved from an ethical paradigm, which presupposes a solid foundation in theory and analysis that can only be thoroughly developed by humanistic training, like the Ateneo core curriculum. Even with the emergence and rise of the digital age, the humanities and arts cannot be displaced from their niche. Outdated? I don’t think so.
