Week Twelve Journal Entry

As with most college courses at the conclusion we (the student) often wonder what exactly we learned and if we determine that there was in fact some measurable amount of knowledge gained we then wonder how we will be able to use it. Taking mathematics for example, it is a much more cumulative discipline and in most cases for the college student it is seen as just another class that is required or it is a stepping stone for the next, more difficult mathematics course. Its uses are mostly applied only in other math courses (of course there are some professions such as engineering, accounting, and finance which require in depth knowledge), but how many times has a college graduate found him or herself performing integral calculus?

In taking the Kirkpatrick Signature Series course, however, we find that the learning gained is much more readily applicable in our daily lives. Everyday we are forced to face many social, political, and religious issues, and what the Kirkpatrick course has done is provide a base of objective understanding and interpretation. Through discovering how many of our most influential leaders and thinkers contributed to their respective cultures we can learn that it is possible and justifiable to stand up against many opposing forces in reverence to our beliefs.

I found this to be one of the most valuable courses I have taken thus far. I have always been interested in our American political dynamics, and so a course such as this opened my mind up to better ways of looking at our world. The course has further initiated my desire to continue to acquire a more thorough understanding of these topics and learn more about some of the contributing authors in our text Western Vision and American Values.