In the Loop
Student Stories : Oct 28, 2016

Explore Something New: National Arts and Humanities Month Editorial

By Avery Smith and Van Truong

We live in an age of specialization. From an early age we are told that our lives will be defined by our careers, but what we choose should not cause us to lose sight of the richness and depth of life.  

A life devoted to the sciences is a wonderful thing, but there is a raw emotive power that exists within the arts that cannot be precisely explained or grasped. Performances on campus can be windows into the lives and cultures of people both like and unlike us. The world is out there and the good news is that it is never too late to pick up a new interest.

Our college campuses are brimming with examples of individuals that have found the beauty and richness in leading multidisciplinary lives. There’s a graduate student in the physics department who lights up swing dancing. Have you met the painting student who gushes about moth anatomy? And one of our student leaders is a business student who escapes after a hectic day for dance practice with his cultural organization.

Engage with the people around you to see what sustains them. Explore a new novel, philosophy, artistic medium, debate style, dance form or musical genre.

- Avery Smith, UF Philosophy and Economics student and Van Truong, UF Anthropology student