General Ed requirements necessary for tolerance

Arizona Daily Wildcat Jennifer McKean

It is crucial that each of us be educated in the areas of gender, class, race and ethnicity, because we are living in a society where each of us is different and unique. We are man and woman, we are gay and lesbian, we are all races and we all religions.

The requirement is necessary because it encourages a society of knowledgeable individuals who can interact with each other. Look around. We are always hearing about inequalities in our society, and it is often our ignorance of other people that brings us to discriminate.

The University cannot say that they have turned out educated, well-rounded individuals unless we have been subjected to a diverse education.

Men, how much do you actually know about a woman's perspective on life, the history of African American women or the sociology of American Indian women? No doubt, you will closely interact with many of these people in your lifetime. Now is our chance to dispose of stereotypes before we get into the workplace.

How many of you regularly reach beyond your own knowledge and learn about someone else's culture. Probably not too many of you. We tend to be lazy, only wanting to complete the minimal requirements to graduate.

This world would be a more peaceful, more unified place to live and raise our children if we each took the time to try and understand one another. It is crucial that we be open-minded. Every day, for the rest of your life, you will encounter people of different races, ethnic backgrounds, religions and certainly another gender.

The gender, race, class, ethnicity requirement can open a world of opportunities for you. You may discover that you are intrigued with concepts of Western culture, for example. That discovery may lead to a new career choice, some traveling, meeting interesting people or maybe it will just enter into that little bank in your mind where you store information.

By knowing more about other people, you learn more about yourself. I think it's impossible to fully understand the history of your own history unless you compare it to different histories.

I think that the University has done a fine job with implementing the requirement.

It is definitely necessary to our future and the ways in which we view the world. There should be a time in everyone's life when they are the reflection in the mirror rather than the person looking in the mirror.

Jennifer McKean is a junior majoring in journalism.