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The Fall 2022 issue of Our Tennessee magazine focuses on how the humanities and arts enrich our lives. In his “President’s Desk” column, UT System President Randy Boyd sums up well why studying history is so important.
“From language to writing, history to performing arts, ethics to architecture and every facet in between, these subject areas allow us to better understand ourselves, our communities and the world at large. They enrich our lives while providing the foundations on which we stand,” President Boyd states in the introduction to the article.
“And the arts and humanities are essential to who we are. The impact of arts and humanities across our campuses and within our state is undeniable,” he continued. “The act of creating—in all its various forms—is a vessel for exploration, and through it we can find meaning in our histories, our presents and our futures. Perhaps most importantly, the products of such exploration allow us to build a bridge to one another when differences run the risk of leaving a void.”
In concluding, President Boyd wrote “Our campuses will continue to serve as an outlet to experience and fully immerse education in the arts and humanities. After all, I think we would all feel a little less human in their absence.”
We in the UTC Department of History couldn’t agree more, and stand with President Boyd in affirming why studying history is so important.