Haley C.

O'Brien

PR Senior Seminar

Interdisciplinary Paper

3/08/2017

Some of the most valuable lessons one can be taught in college may not even come from

ones major area of study. However, these lessons can add extreme value to that major area of

study. These courses outside of ones major(s) could also have absolutely nothing to do with one

another, but at the same time there is often a connection to notice. In my personal college

experience I can recall courses outside of my Public Relations and Spanish majors that helped

me to grow intellectually. I know that two courses specifically, have made a lasting impact on

my life. These courses are: Comparative Environmental Politics and Community and Identity:

The Myth of the American West. After reflecting back on these courses, it is clear that both have

concepts that resonate with one another. Finally, the lessons and values I have taken from both

of these advanced gen eds., have direct links to my Public Relations and Spanish majors.

During my first semester of my junior year, I enrolled in the advanced general education

course Comparative Environmental Politics. To put it simply, I had no idea what I was about to

learn. This class opened up so many doors for me. It challenged me in a good way because it

made me question the conservative perspective I had been exposed to my whole life. In fact, I

cant recall the environment ever being important to, for example, my parents or grandparents.

We wrote a series of reflections after assigned readings and I remember being so baffled by some

of the information I was exposed to. Before this class, I had never really been exposed to a

viewpoint different than my own in such an educational/noninvasive way. I realized that I had a

passion for loving the earth, being green, reducing my waste, reusing things, and recycling. I
realized that I want to vote for people who also care about the environment. I became the Solid

Waste Education Student Intern on campus, and I became a vegetarian to reduce my carbon

footprint after researching how animal agriculture has an impact on climate change. This class

affected the way I live today, in an extremely positive way. Lastly, this class gave me a thirst for

truth. What else can I learn? What other truths have I not been exposed to? Little did I know,

another advanced gen ed. would soon expose even more truth.

The course that challenged me with truth next, was a history course: The Myth of the

American West. This was one of my cluster courses. I took this course first semester of my

senior year and it opened my eyes to a lot of truth. After only a few classes, I started to feel the

familiar feeling of unfamiliar truth being exposed to me. Dr. Anderson-Bricker educated us on

how history books leave things out, exaggerate, or sometimes blatantly lie. We talked about this

in relation to the Native Americans and cowboys. We compared how Hollywood portrays the

Wild West, and how it actually was. I remember growing up and celebrating Christopher

Columbus as a hero, watching movies and thinking Native Americans were nonsensical savages,

and that cowboys were the ones to save the day. Many students in the class also grew up

believing the same things. We soon learned about manifest destiny and how our country was

founded on this idea that the white man had the God-given right to take land from the Native

Americans, because he is white. We learned about the Native American struggle, the racism, and

the horrendous violence. This class, like my environmental politics class, was hard on my heart.

I once again felt silly for never knowing these thingsbut at the same time, so grateful I know

now. This course made me appreciate historians so much more, and I am definitely not going to

believe everything that I hear. These classes that presented truth vs. myth changed my outlook

on life.
 I do not know what other colleges, if any, have advanced general education courses quite

like the ones I have taken. I remember as a freshman, wondering why I need advanced general

education classes if I am already taking foundational general education classes. Whats the

point? After reflecting on these two courses, I understand that I would not have been exposed to

concepts of myth and truth if I had not taken these courses. I never thought that a politics class

and a history class would ever go hand in hand, but they do. Both courses start with myth, or

commonly known and believed theories. For example in the environmental politics course, we

talked about how many people believe climate change to be a myth. We touched on how some

of our politicians believe this, and why that could potentially be a problem. Our professor took

us back in history to show us where this problem started, and how humans have been a catalyst

to climate change for years. We compared myth and truth for an entire semester, and it had such

an effect on me that I now vote differently.

Similarly, the concept of myth and truth was present in my history class. In fact, myth vs.

truth was talked about in each and every class we had. My whole life I had simplified the history

of the American West, and after taking this course, I know now that I was just believing the

myths associated with it. I am so grateful for the passionate professor that taught this course. It

made me question much of what I held to be true in other aspects of my lifebut I know this is

good. I know that having a more open mind and asking questions will help me in my personal,

social, and work life. In fact, it has already helped me directly with Public Relations and

Spanish.

I believe that the concept of myth vs. truth resulted in me having a more open mind,

which has played a crucial part in my experiences as a Public Relations and Spanish major. In

any profession, being able to take a look at, listen to, and understand different perspectives, are
always good skills to practice regularly. This can help one to think outside of the box, be

creative, work more efficiently, and develop positive relationships. These qualities showed

through during my time at the Batavia Park District at the summer Marketing Intern. On a day to

day basis, I had to talk with people on the phone, meet new people, talk to people of the

community, and I was often faced with cultures different from my own. Having this sense of

open mindedness, listening skills, and communications skills, helped me to handle each

individual situation efficiently and calmly. In relation to my Spanish major, I was constantly

being exposed to cultures that are different than my own. Similar to my Public Relations major,

the skills that I learned from my environmental politics course and my history course have been a

wonderful addition to helping me be a better Spanish speaker, and communicator in general.

This brings me to looking at the bigger picturethe possibilities that lie ahead.

In a few short months, I will graduate with a BA in Public Relations and Spanish.

However, in the past four years I have learned so much more than how to speak Spanish or how

to be good at producing quality PR for a client. If I could, I would tell my freshman year self

that the courses I will take outside of my major are going to be just as helpful to me, if not more,

as my PR and Spanish major. While I know that my environmental politics and history course

challenged me to think outside of the box, I am not done. In regards to the future, I will never be

done challenging myself. I will never be done thirsting for and discovering truth and ideas that

are different than my own. If I keep this mindset, I believe that I will find myself being

successful in my professional career. When I began college as an 18 year old, I remember

wishing I could just take my major courses and be done with school. Now being a 22 year old

woman, it is mind boggling looking back on how much I have changed, and how much I can

actually credit that to the Loras College courses outside of my major. Furthermore, I was able to
see how concepts of myth and truth have helped me with my Spanish speaking skills, or working

as a marketing intern for a park district. I look forward to seeing where else I can practice these

skills, how they will benefit me in my career, and most importantly, how they will help me to

serve the community that surrounds me.