Through reading the literature of a people in crisis, examining the politics or psychology of conflict, designing an experiment to better understand an issue, or performing a work with emotional impact, students gain not only an academic understanding of their world, but also an opportunity to see the world of others. It is through such understanding that we develop the empathy to participate in solving problems with others while integrating our knowledge with our personal beliefs. Allowing tomorrow's citizens to experience the world of others provides them with vicarious practice for making life's decisions, thus enhancing their development of personal convictions.
Personal convictions paired with civic imagination is the goal of liberal learning.
My experiences in my sophomore year were much similar to those in my freshman year. I had a few classes, such as Sociology that provided me with further insights into the social problems that are present in the world outside of the college campus. I also went to a Philosophy and Religion conference as part of my Western Philosophy Two that discussed the problems of American over consumerism. Other than that, however my experience with this was fairly limited this year.