UMKC American Studies: Testimonials

__________University of Missouri at Kansas City__________

Scott:

"Chad and I were talking one night about what we were doing in American Studies. As frustrating as that qustion can be, I like that American Studies allows and encourages as many different answers as there are majors.

"Considering that I can't seem to stop writing songs long enough to decide that I might want or need to do anything else, I told Chad that I was probably an American Studies major so I might become a better (American) songwriter.

"A lot of the ideas I have become acquainted with through American Studies have already encouraged me to think in some different directions that I may have missed altogether. Other ideas have affirmed some things I have been mulling over for some time.

"I am a firm believer in the notion that you get as much out of any situaiton as you put in, but American Studies as a major seems to invite a good deal of student input. The fact that a non-American Studies lecturer told me that he thought American Studies was a "real eduation" seems to speak to this end. Realizing that such an obtuse answer as the one I'm composing, in and of itself, may not go very far towards helping a visitor to our web site make sense of the discipline, this is nevertheless what I am getting out of American Studies today."

Jen:

"I returned to college at the age of 30 with two children, an undecided major, and many different interests. I became an American Studies major because of the flexibility of the program. The broad scope of American Studies holds endless possibilities for academic study and can be tailored to the individual student. I have enjoyed exploring American culture and landscape through various tools and methods. American Studies has allowed me to feel a personal connection to my academic pursuits."

Kelly:

"As a returning Arts & Sciences student, I saw American Studies not only as a solution to my meanderings in school but as a perfect fit to the work I do as an archivist and historian. The opportunity to shape my own education in the American Studies program is an invaluable asset, and these academic decisions strengthened my abilities in the professional field. For example, as an employee of the UMKC Marr Sound Archives, I had the chance to use library resources to develop a digital exhibit for an American Studies independent study course. The resulting web site is a constant reminder to me of how an American Studies education can be applied to a work-related environment.