Hefty core doesn’t make us Jesuit

I decided to attend Fairfield University for several reasons, but the main drawing point for me was the notion of the Jesuit education.

I find myself now still appreciative of this school of thought, but sadly, I am not sure that Fairfield has truly implemented it.

Fairfield promises an education of the whole: “Jesuit. Personal. Powerful.” But in reality all that means to the common student is a larger core curriculum.

Even the core, to me, seems inherently flawed. In theory, it is meant to provide a broad knowledge base in many facets of academia, but most find it more of a nuisance that keeps them from taking the classes they actually want to take – selections that would probably be similar in breadth and scope.

Jesuit ideals should be more ingrained into all aspects of student life and chiefly present in all classes that are taught.

As a marketing major, I have worked on seemingly innumerable projects such as mock campaigns and faux market analyses, but not once in these classes have professors examined the subjects in light of Jesuit ideals. There is no excuse for this shortcoming.

Why not put the formidable amount of quality work that business students create to good use? In true Jesuit fashion, professors should think outside the box and use all of the hard work not simply for a grade, but for the betterment of the community and the school.

Instead of a marketing campaign for insignificant products, assignments could be aimed at raising awareness for school-sponsored events or at making the Levee a more popular option for undergraduates.

Similarly, understaffed and under-funded Fairfield and Bridgeport charities could undoubtedly use the marketing efforts of DSB students for worthwhile causes.

Of course, there are numerous other ways that Fairfield could implement this higher level of teaching and this notion could be applied to all schools and courses, but the Fairfield community as a whole first needs to deem similar efforts worthwhile.

Such a logical approach would prove a more fitting departure from the current myopic scope of current classes and would foster a true education of the whole and inspire students to take on greater, nobler endeavors.