Van Camp, Courtney: Paglia

These days it seems that universities and other institutions want to mold their students and workers into the professionals of the future. Jobs in carpentry and construction are slowly being discontinued from the curriculum as professional jobs such as becoming a lawyer or a teacher gradually becomes more popular. Camille Paglia states that universities should pair with vocational or trade schools to allow a broader range of job diversity. Students are making expanding their education a job instead of an opportunity.

I am a psychology major, and even though it seems that it would be a more professional job, it is something that I plan to thoroughly enjoy. Ms. Paglia wants people to enjoy their jobs, not want them because they have to. Having a meaningful profession is a step towards happiness, while working just to make money is a step toward burnout.

Pairing with a trade school would greatly benefit a university or college, because it would allow students to chase down their dream job and give them a chance to experience working in a profession that they might love. People who work with their hands or create things seem to have a greater sense of joy than those who sit in the office all day pushing papers or typing away on a keyboard. People who create something on their own have greater fulfillment.

I know that when I got into my profession I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day. I want to showcase my talents and go out into the world. I believe that Paglia feels the same way. She has come to the realization that the people have become more about competing to see who has the best, highest position job, instead of having a job that they want to be in for the rest of your life.

Lastly, because so many jobs are shipped overseas, school systems are stripping students of the fun courses, such as art and music courses, which ease their fried brains and allow their creativity to flow. Administrators are now focusing on the core subjects like math and science, putting a work overload on students because they are now forced to study difficult subjects daily. By pairing with a trade school, students would be able to engage in hands on activities that shake up the daily grind of writing papers and reading books. Their attentiveness would increase, which in turn would increase their memory retention.

Paglia believes that pairing with a trade school is a good idea. I agree with her. Pairing with a trade school will take away some of the tension from classes and allow students to put their minds at ease and do something that they enjoy. To me happiness is the most important thing when it comes to job satisfaction. Why should education be any different?